Star Wars: An Oncoming Storm
by Preirin
Summary: The Republic is shattered, having suffered heavy losses from Imperial attacks on several worlds. Now a strange new threat emerges, one which could destroy the entire galaxy. A Jedi Master and his Padawan, fugitives from their own order, and a Smuggler and his crew, wanted dead or alive, may be the only hope against a force unleased. *This is my first fanfic. Feedback welcome*
1. AN Oncoming Storm - Prologue

**Prologue**

Rouhan sat alone in his chamber in deep meditation. The visions had begun almost three months ago; dark, twisted and incredibly difficult to decipher. Within them he saw flashes of a ravaged land covered in orange dust. Tall, once imposing sculptures which had stood for centuries now lay in crumbled ruins, the cause of which was still unknown. Was it natural erosion over eons of neglect or something more sinister? More questions. No answers.

A dust storm raged across nearby mountains, consuming everything in its path like a plague of locusts across fields of grain, the wind howling and screaming like a wounded rancour. Rouhan shifted his position slightly, attempting to focus. Was that the wind he heard? If only he could peer through the veil of swirling dirt and debris, even if just to catch a glimpse of what might stand at the storm's center. He focused harder and harder still. A shadow appeared in his mind's eye, only for an instant but definitely there, definitely in the heart of the storm. He eased his mind and relaxed, allowing the vision to fade and the world around him dissolve into view. He leaned forward, his breathing haggard and sweat falling from his brow. Frustration welled within him. He thrust his first into the stone floor. He took some pleasure in the pain. This, at least, was real.

"Master?" A young voice called from the entranceway. "It is time. They expect an answer."

Rouhan took a balancing breath and stood, wiping his brow with a nearby cloth handed to him by Yuan, a young Falleen woman dressed in the robes of the order. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." Rouhan said decidedly.

* * *

The delegates seated around the table stared at Rouhan in disbelief of what they had just heard. Chief Hunter Karvikk, the delegate leader, spoke in sharp, guttural tones of the Togorian tongue. His Protocol Droid, KEP-S16, translated. "My master asks that you say that again."

"I said the Jedi Order can not at this time spare the resources or manpower to aid you in your efforts. On behalf of the Order, I offer my sincerest condolences and best wishes for a successful campaign." Rouhan ended with a slight bow of courtesy and steeled himself for the backlash that was undoubtedly about to erupt.

Karvikk looked around the table to the other delegates, who stared back at him with the same look of bemused shock and ire. The big hunter looked back at Rouhan and tapped his long talons on the highly polished surface of the table. After several pregnant moments he began to speak.

"My Master says that is unacceptable. The Southern continent has already pushed our armies to the brink of collapse. Our main gates are endangered. Hundreds of innocents are already being killed daily. Should those gates fall, the slaughter will be incalculable. He strongly suggests you reconsider your answer."

"How long have your people been fighting this war?"

The table was again stunned by Rouhan's question. "Four years" KEP-S16 translated.

"Four years, seven months and thirteen days." Rouhan corrected, "After a period of peace which lasted twelve years. Before that you were at war for a period of seven years. Before that, five."

"I fail to see…" the droid began.

Rouhan looked up, a dark cloud over his eyes. "Peace can not be achieved by war, nor can it be ensured by seeking aid from those stronger than yourselves to kill your enemies."

This sent a ripple of growls across the table. Karvikk's claws dug deep into the wood in sudden anger at the insult.

Even Yuan who had stood by silently throughout the proceedings raised an eyebrow at this.

"The truth is it doesn't matter if the Order comes to your aid now or ever again. Neither side is going to live long enough to see the end of this war."

Karvikk stood at this, his fur bristling. He roared, bearing his teeth in a feral display of raw power and viciousness. Yuan's hand dropped to the hilt of her lightsaber.

KEP-S16 stood between his master and the Jedi. "I do believe this meeting has come to a close. Thank you for your attendance. Please see yourselves out."

Rouhan spun on his heel and moved towards the door. Karvikk growled and snarled at his back.

"My master wishes to know why you would say we are doomed." KEP-S16 asked.

Rouhan turned to face them again, his demeanor suddenly harsh and cold. "Because there is an unfathomable storm coming, set into motion by a beast driven by hatred and hunger to consume everything in its path. Cities, planets, entire systems… nothing is safe. No one is safe. Not anymore."


	2. An Oncoming Storm - Chapter one

**Chapter One**

"I don't know. Don't you think they're kinda expensive?"

Calhoun tried to act nonchalant as his marks, a short, pig-faced man and a taller human, bickered. Around them the patrons of the dark and smoky cantina drank and talked amongst themselves, each engrossed in whatever topic was of interest at the moment. Those, at any rate, that weren't otherwise engrossed in the Twins, a pair of identical Twi'lek sisters who had taken dancing to an entirely new level.

"Look, if you don't want these I have a buyer on Tatoine who's willing to pay top dollar so let's just call it a day and…"

"No, no. We're interested. Just give us a moment." Pig-face said before giving his partner an accusatory glance. Calhoun sat back and folded his arms behind his head, trying not to smile.

 _How's it going, boss?_ _They buying or not?_

The voice chimed in his head, thanks to the cyber implants he and his crew had installed. Perfect for keeping conversations private.

 _Oh, they're gonna buy. They think they're clever, putting on a show. About to barter in 3…2…1…_

"You've come all this way, why head out to tatooine?" Pig-face said, forcing a smile. "It'd cost you more in fuel than you'd make in profit."

Calhoun clapped his hands together. "Excellent. We have a deal. If you start the process of transferring the credits into my account I'll gave the order to unload."

"You know, since we're saving you such a long trip, why not knock some creds off the price. Say five hundred?"

 _And there it is. I love this part of the dance. They offer, I counter, in the end I relent a little and walk away with a fist full of profit._

"What happened to cutting into my profit? No deal. The price is firm, boys."

The two looked at one another. "Three hundred."

Calhoun shrugged as if to say 'there's nothing I can do.'

"I don't know," the Taller man said, "Brewer had some of these he was selling for about a third of the price. Maybe we should deal with him instead."

"Maybe you should. Tatooine isn't that far a ride after all."

 _Boss, I'm getting chatter on the pickup. Not clear but sounds like something is about to go down near your location._

 _What have I told you about specificity?_

Pig-face and his partner push themselves away from the table. "We're going to have to think about this before we commit that many credits."

 _And they move into the bluff. Now it's a game of whoever breaks first loses, and I never lose._

A low chatter begins to rumble through the cantina, subtle at first but growing. Calhoun almost doesn't notice it until he watches several patrons leave in somewhat of a hurry.

 _Um, did you figure out what the 'something' was yet? I'm starting to get bad vibes here._

Calhoun watches the marks make their way to the door and stop.

 _Boss! Get out of there! Now!_

 _They're about to cave. Ten more seconds._

 _Boss! Bregg._

Calhoun leaps to his feet. "You know what, guys? I'm feeling exceptionally generous. Five hundred off the top. Done."

"Really?" The Pig-faced man asked.

"Absolutely, but time's money, so let's go get your cargo now, ya?"

The two men look to each other, confused.

"Just for fun I'll take off six hundred if we go out this way, through the back." Calhoun felt the adrenaline already pumping though his system. Of all of the people he wanted to avoid, Bregg was at the top of his list, and for good reason.

"What's going on? You were cool as ice a few seconds ago and now you're cutting the price?" The Tall Mark asked.

"Why ask why?" Calhoun offered, "When you find a deal, take it, no matter what, or so the Hutts say. And who can argue with a Hutt when it comes to money? One thousand. Off the top, but we have to leave. Now. Final offer. Take it or leave it."

 _Boss…_

 _I'm working on it! Get the load ready to drop and the ship ready to fly._

The two men looked at each other and shrugged. The deal was too good to ask questions. "Fine!" The Pig-faced man said, "Let's go out the back."

Calhoun turned and dashed towards the rear entrance, the two men following. As he reached the door and swung it open he came face to face with a mountain of a Chiss armed with a blaster.

"Calhoun."

"Gein." Calhoun said as he slammed the door in the Chiss's face hard. He drew his own blaster and scouted for any additional exits.

"What's going on?" The Pig-faced man shouted, close to a panic.

"What's going on," said a deep voice from the other end of the room, "Is you have chosen your business partner poorly."

Bregg stood, flanked by guards on either side. Even by Devaronian standards he was physically daunting, standing a full head taller than most, a feature which had given Bregg the nickname of 'The Mountain'.

 _I'm going to need backup here, Griss._

"Griss is otherwise engaged at the moment." Bregg said calmly, tapping his temple with a finger. "Do you realize how easy it is to hack into an implant transceiver these days? "

Calhoun gritted his teeth. He saw the Twins stalking behind Bregg and his men, their vibroknives ready, and shook his head. They backed off, but not too far.

"What is it this man was attempting to sell you gentlemen?" Bregg asked. "Yes, you." He added, seeing the Pig-faced man's look of confusion.

"P-power couplings. Series D-4." He said nervously, quickly adding, "We didn't know, Mountain. We didn't know you was involved. The deal's off. We don't want no part of this. Just let us go, yes?"

"A wise choice." Bregg hissed, then nodded towards the door. "Go."

"If I were you I'd stay right here fellas, where there's plenty of witnesses." Calhoun offered.

"You shouldn't cross the Mountain." The Pig-faced man spat, "No one who does lives to tell the story about it later." The Pig-faced man and his Tall companion turned and moved past Bregg and his guards and through the door.

"You don't have to do this." Calhoun said flatly.

Bregg shrugged. "It's just good business." He said. A moment later the sound of blasters finding their targets erupted from beyond the door. "Now," he said, moving forward casually, "D-4 power couplings. A very interesting commodity. Wouldn't suppose they're tagged with Republic serials and sealed in durasteel lockcrates, are they? You know, just like the ones that were somehow misplaced from my warehouse a few weeks ago?"

"How was I supposed to know they were yours?" Calhoun smiled, quickly adding, "I feel real bad about it now. I'll tell you what, I'll unload them and give them back. I'll even deliver them back to the warehouse. Free of charge."

"How generous of you. My heart swells from your compassion, friend." Bregg smiled wide, making a point of showing his elongated canines. "I'll take that kind offer. I'll also take your ship, your crew and, as for you, I have a lovely suite prepared for you in a holding cell where you will stay, out of my hair, and rot until I see fit to kick your bones into the vacuum of space." He opened his arms wide. "See? I can be generous, too."

"Yeah… there's just one problem with that." Calhoun said, winking to the Twins.

"And what's that?"

"Devaronians don't have hair, mate."

What happened next happened in a flash. The Twins leapt into action, bringing their blades to the throats of Bregg's guards. Calhoun kicked a table over end and ducked behind it for cover, drawing his twin blasters. Gein and Bregg drew their weapons and dug in for a firefight.

Suddenly a scream rang out from outside, followed by another. One of Bregg's men raced in from outside. "Bregg, you have to see this!"

"I'm in the middle of a business transaction. Can't it wait?" Bregg growled.

"I don't think so. Something's coming. Something big."

From outside, something heavy crashed against the cantina wall, shaking the entire room. Bregg steadied himself. "Are we under attack?"

"I don't know." The man said.

Bregg bit his lip, scowling, then barked at Gein, "Watch them. Don't let them escape."

As Bregg turned to leave, Gein raised his scattergun with a smile. "He's not going anywhere."

Another blast hit the cantina, knocking bottles from the shelves.

 _Griss, what the hell's going on out there?_

 _I don't know, Boss, but I have a feeling you'd better get back here quick. My sensors are going nuts._

Calhoun glanced at the rear exit, then at Gein. "Well, it's been fun, but I have another appointment off world I should really be getting to."

Gein levelled the scattergun at Calhoun. "You're not going anywhere."

The level of chaos outside had grown. Voices mingled with a low, audible howling. Wind? "You hear that, Gein? Sounds like whatever's going on out there is pretty bad. Maybe you should check it out."

Gain didn't budge. "Give me an excuse to kill you. Please."

 _Boss, if we don't take off soon we're not getting off this rock!_

"How long has it been," Calhoun smirked, "since your boss went out there? Why hasn't he come back yet? A lotta noise out there. He could be in trouble."

Gein blinked, unsure, then shook his head. "He'll have my head if I let you go. That isn't going to happen."

"You think he'll be forgiving if he's pinned down, about to get a blaster to the back of the head? Who's next in line after Bregg, Gein? It's you, isn't it?"  
Gein didn't respond.

"You're probably right. No one would think you'd leave Bregg out there to die just so you could take over the operation, would they? I mean, can you imagine what they'd do to you if they even thought that?" Calhoun leaned against the wall and casually folded his arms across his chest. "Let's just wait it out. It's only been what, five minutes?"

Gein played the scenario over in his head a few times, not liking how it played out each time. He snapped a quick curse then backed his way to the exit, leaning over and turning his head to see outside.

Which was the exact moment one of the Twins, having dispatched the guard, brought the hilt of her blade to the back of the Chiss' head hard, knocking him down and out.

Calhoun breathed a sigh of relief. "That could have gone much better."

A massive dust storm had rolled in, making it incredibly difficult for Calhoun and his troupe to see where they were going. Debris and stones became projectiles in the wind, making traversing the streets all that more dangerous. Several bodies of those less fortunate lay on the ground, their attempts to flee cut short.

 _Why didn't the ship pick up this storm before it hit?_

 _Because it didn't exist until about twenty minutes ago, Boss._

 _That doesn't make any sense. A storm doesn't just appear out of nowhere._

 _This one did._

Calhoun could make out the shadow of the abandoned building just ahead where they had landed the shuttle. They boarded quickly, deafened and blinded by the wind and sand. He shook of the layer of dirt and dust from his jacket. From the feel of it he'd be bathing for a week straight just to get it out of his ears and other crevices. The Twins would be feeling it worse than he as they were wearing considerably less.

"Strap in. We're leaving." He ordered.

 _Not sure that's a good idea, Boss._ Griss's voice rang in his head. _That storm's going to make takeoff nearly impossible._

"Then get the Elysium ready to pluck us out of the sky if you have to. We're not staying here."

Calhoun started the engines and prepped the anti-grav generators for vertical lift-off. The building around them quaked and shook from the weight of the storm outside. "This is going to be a rough ride."

The Twins looked to one another before holding hands and closing their eyes.

Calhoun let out a breath. It was no or never. He pushed the engines into action.

The shuttle nearly rolled at the impact of the wind, the gyrostabilizers barely being able to counter. Rocks and dust created a deafening thunder inside the cabin as it bulleted into the hull. Calhoun gritted his teeth as he fought against the controls.

 _Boss, if you can get through the stratosphere you should be able to rise above the storm._

"How far?" Calhoun grunted.

 _At least twenty five kilometres, but it's going to get rougher the higher you go._

"On it!" Calhoun said, pulling back on the stick as hard as he could, his knuckles white. Visibility immediately was nil and from the sound of it, the hull was being torn to shreds. The shuttle struggled against the raw power of the storm like a toy ship in a raging river. Alarms and klaxons sand out, red lights across the board lit up. Calhoun checked his altimeter - ten kilometers and rising slowly. ' _Too slow!'_ He thought to himself.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught a dark mass just off starboard. With enhanced reflects he rolled the shuttle just in time to avoid collision with a massive piece of debris. Then he saw _**it**_ ; a larger shape near the storm's center, moving not with the storm but _through it_ , as if carrying the storm with along with it. _Griss, are you seeing this?_

 _Yeah, but… what is it?_

 _I was hoping you could tell me._

The thing in the center stopped, then turned. _It was alive!_ It focused on the shuttle with two massive white eyes which seemed to cut through the haze clearly. It opened a massive maw and let loose a roar that muted the howling wind. There was force behind that roar, and it sent the shuttle and its crew rolling.

Calhoun struggled to regain control of the shuttle but it was no use; the board was lit red, the engines were seizing, the controls weren't responding. The Twins clung to each other in silent terror as the shuttle was hurtled towards the ground.

Then everything stopped. The wind still howled outside but the shuttle had ceased its tumbling plummet. Calhoun saw that their altitude was rising. He smiled. _Griss, you beauty!_

The Elysium hovered just above the storm. She was a modified Type IV picket ship that had seen better days, but as far as Calhoun was concerned at this moment she was an angel straight out of heaven. The Elysium's tractor beam pulled the shuttle clear of the storm.

 _I'll have you back in the nest in no time. Just sit tight. Looks like the storm's settling at least._

Calhoun sat back and relinquished the shuttle's controls to the Elysium. He glanced down at the storm below, the winds had indeed slowed, but they still tore like claws at everything in their path, but he saw no sign of whatever monstrosity looked back at him from the abyss.

Whatever it was, it left him with a cold, troubled feeling somewhere deep inside his core and he hoped he would never have to look into those eyes again.

* * *

Calhoun ran a towel over his wet hair, hoping the last of the dirt and sand had been washed out of his ears. He hadn't needed a shower so badly since he tried to transport a herd of wooly banthas to Hoth. He looked at himself in the mirror and almost didn't recognize the old man staring back at him. He was just forty but his hair had already started to turn grey at the temples and the crow's feet had taken hold around his eyes. Where was the twenty-something scoundrel who could seal a deal with a wink and catch any woman with a smile? He could see traces of the boy behind the mask of the man, but only barely.

"I trust the water temperature was to your liking, Master. I did attempt to stabilize it just four degrees above your peak body temperature for maximum comfort."

"Yes, Nine." Calhoun sighed, "It was fine. Why don't you see if you can scout us another job, eh?"

"Right away, Master!"

C-09 was an old TC-series protocol droid Calhoun had won in a card game against a rather unpleasant fellow on Alderaan. The droid was already falling apart and just a few short circuits from becoming scrap when Calhoun took possession, thinking he had won one of the newer astromechs and rather disappointed upon discovery of the switch pulled on him. He thought he had been clever by removing Nine's primary personality matrix and installing it directly into the ships computer, essentially making the ship-wide systems controlled by an AI as a failsafe should anything happen to the crew. The idea was sound, but Nine's rather overzealous desire to please sometimes made captaining a 'living ship' almost unbearable.

"According to the network there are a series of current jobs in need of a transportation specialist such as yourself, Master. Three which require the handling of live goods…"

"Next." Calhoun muttered as he slipped a shirt over his bare chest. Running short on funds one year he agreed to transport livestock. As a result it took him a full year to get the smell of bantha dung out of his cargo hold.

"Two which have been flagged as high priority and require the transport of non-descript cargo." Nine offered.

"The pay?"

"The highest starts at five hundred thousand. Half upon pickup. Half upon delivery. However," Nine paused.

"However?"

"Each require entering into Imperial space. This one in particular requires delivery to Dromond Kaas."

"The last time we went near Dromond Kaas we were almost shot down before we could break the atmosphere."

"I do remember, Master." Nine said nervously.

"Pass."

"Excellent choice!" Nine added, his tone much more chipper.

The ship's intercom chimed. "Hey boss, I think you should come up here. I got more data on that storm." Griss said.

"On my way." Calhoun strapped his gunbelt to his hip. Even in the safety of his own ship he wouldn't be caught dead without his blasters.

"Master," Nine interrupted, "The jobs."

Calhoun waved dismissively. "No animals, nothing that takes us into Imperial space and no kids. Find something that matches and just choose one. I don't really care. After the fiasco with those couplings we just need a job to fuel the Elysium and keep us all fed. Surprise me."

"Your wish is my command, Master." Nine chimed.

Calhoun left his cabin and started towards the bridge. Along the way he passed the Twins' room, glancing in just long enough to see them seated on the floor, palms together, staring at each other. He'd never admit it, but those girls made him nervous. They never spoke, not to him or to each other, but he was certain they communicated just fine. When he had come up with the idea to have transceiver implants for the crew they declined. It didn't seem to slow them down, however; they always seemed to know what everyone was thinking. For a pair of assassins, that's a pretty handy ability to have. It creeped him out nonetheless.

Entering the bridge and taking a seat, Calhoun looked over to Griss, a Lorrdian woman with short, dark hair pulled behind her ears shook her head, her deep brown eyes locked on the readings display projected in front of her.

"What do you have?" Calhoun said, dropping into the co-pilot's seat.

"Remember I told you that storm came out of nowhere? Well, the computer confirms that it did just that." She said, her tone and movements minute. "There was no atmospheric build-up, no precursor to the storm whatsoever. According to all satellite data the entire region was bright and clear. Then, whoosh!" She said, adding, "All hell breaks loose."

The memory of those eyes, that thing in the center of the storm flashed in his mind.

"What did you see down there?" She asked.

Lorridans were for all sense and purpose Humans, but their ability to convey complex meaning though even the slightest gesture made her invaluable to Calhoun. If he ever found himself in a difficult spot he knew he could count on her to react appropriately and immediately with just a blink of an eye. On the downside it also meant he could hide nothing from her.

"Nothing." He tried. "Just wind and dirt."

She spun her chair to face him, folding her arms across her chest and locking him with a glare.

"It's crazy." He said, "but I thought I saw something _alive_ in the storm. Something huge."

"Could have been local livestock picked up by the winds." She offered.

"No, it was bigger than that." He frowned. "And I don't think it was picked up by the storm. I think it was the cause of it."

Griss watched him carefully then, without a word, turned back to her console and began entering commands.

"I told you it was crazy." He sank back in his chair.

She continued to work, saying nothing, until, "This is the exact moment the storm appeared. I've calculated its center."

He looked over. The display showed an open patch of land outside of town. "Nothing."

"I'm not so sure." She said, turning a dial and increasing the image's magnification. "There, look."

He still saw nothing at first, then, upon leaning in closer, he could see the shape of what appeared to be a ship. "Can you get in closer?"

"Yes," she said, "But not by much."

She adjusted the controls again and again the image zoomed, revealing an Imperial shuttle and four figures, three surrounding the fourth.

"What's the Empire doing out this far?" She mused to herself. It was exactly what Calhoun was thinking. "Play the recorded feed to the moment the storm appeared." He ordered.

It was difficult to make out exactly what was going on. The three figures pressed in on the fourth, obviously with hostile intent. A split second later they were thrown back, reeling from an invisible force and a tremendous explosion of wind, dirt and debris.

Griss paused the feed and stared at Calhoun, who himself stared at the frozen image.

"Play it again." He said slowly.

Again they watched the event unfurls exactly as it did before and again they stared in silence. Finally, Griss was the first to break. "What did we just see?"

"I don't know, and to be honest I don't know that I want to know." Calhoun sighed. "But we need to leave this system."

Griss tilted her head, then nodded, understanding. "The shuttle."

"Where there's an Imperial Shuttle," He began,

"There's an Imperial Cruiser." She finished.

He shifted in his seat, then cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "Nine, have you found a job yet?"

"I believe I have, Master." Nine offered cheerfully. "A simple ferrying job for…"

"I don't care what it is as long as it takes us far, far away from here. Lock in the coordinates and make the jump." He gritted his teeth, eager to leave. "You can send me the job specs later."

"As you wish, Master." Nine said. A moment later the distinctive sound of the hyperdrive sounded through the cabin. A moment later the stars turned into bright streaks of light as the _Elysium_ disappeared into hyperspace.

* * *

Yuan sat uncomfortably, shifting her weight as she listened to the Jedi Council debate over what to do with her master. She wasn't even certain why they had asked her to attend as she was just a padawan less than three years out of the academy. She stared at the faces around her, mostly alien, unsurprisingly so. The Empire might try to fill their ranks with humans in a so-called strive for purity, but the Jedi Order was open to all who showed an affinity to the force, human or otherwise. She was so caught in this thought she barely recognized that those in the council had stopped talking and were looking to her for a response.

"I'm sorry, masters." She said meekly, "My mind was focused on other matters."

Master Devish shook his head. "Your focus should always be on the here and now, padawan." He said. "Especially," he added, "in matters concerning your master." He was Weequay, his race originating from the Outer Rim desert planet of Sriluur. His leathery skin was dark ochre, his hair black as night and tied into several "seclusion braids", each denoting a year away from his home world.

"Yes, of course." Yuan said.

"Karvikk was most distressed over Master Rouhan's refusal to supply aid to their cause." Devish sighed. "Although, I must admit, I see the logic behind his decision. We can not afford to continuously fund a never-ending civil war."

"We should not forget that the Togorian home world is under our protection." Master Aw'Aeh, a tall, lithe figure hidden beneath concealing robes and hood, interjected. "Further, Rouhan was sent to negotiate trade and serve as ambassador. He had not the authority to either approve or deny aid without first consulting with the council."

"A valid point." Devish said, stroking his chin. "Padawan, what is your opinion on the matter?"

"Master?" Yuan blinked.

"You have heard two sides of the matter. Further, you were there as we were not." Devish calmly offered. "Lastly, you are closest to Rouhan. Your insight could prove most valuable."

Yuan felt herself shrinking in her seat. She wasn't ready for this kind of pressure. Addressing individual masters or negotiating with off-world aliens but to provide counsel to the Masters of the Order…

"Do not be afraid." Aw'Aeh said, her tone and voice soothing. "We are not here to judge you. We merely desire to know what truly lay at the heart of the matter."

Yuan nodded, building up her courage. "Master Rouhan seemed distracted." She began, "His mind wasn't focused on the negotiations. He seemed troubled."

"Troubled about what?" Asked another master of the Council.

"I am not sure. He said he was having visions. Terrifying visions." Said Yuan.

The Council exchanged glances. Devish leaned forward. "Did he tell you what these visions were about?"

Yuan shook her head. "No, but he was in constant meditation during the entire trip." She said, adding, "When he wasn't meditating he was trying to sleep. I could hear him cry out from the nightmares."

"Why would Rouhan not report this to us?" Aw'Aeh questioned.

"That I can not say." Yuan replied, feeling ashamed for talking about her master in such a manner.

"That is fair." Devish said calmly, adding, "You have done no wrong by talking with us. Your service and loyalty to him is both admirable and commendable. You are free to go."

Yuan stood and offered a bow before turning to the door. She stopped suddenly. "He mentioned something about an oncoming storm, one which would destroy entire systems." She turned and looked at them. "That is why he refused to negotiate with the Togorians. He said it didn't matter; everything was coming to an end."

"Thank you, padawan." Devish said. "You are dismissed."

Yuan again bowed and exited the room. As the doors closed behind her all eyes turned to Devish. After several long moments he gave a single order.

"Arrest Master Rouhan immediately."

Yuan entered her Master's chamber, her mind still reeling from the Council's words. She was so enwrapped within her own thoughts she didn't notice the presence behind her until a hand clamped over her mouth.

"Sleep." Her abductor whispered in her ear, and everything turned black.


	3. An Oncoming Storm - Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Darkness. Absolute overwhelming darkness was all Yuan could sense. There was no sound, no smell, nothing other than the oppressive _nothingness_ in which she was somehow enveloped within. She felt no pain, no cold or warmth, nothing. No, nothing. She could feel something burning inside of her, like a smouldering spark reaching out for anything to cling on to, spreading and growing. At first she didn't recognize it. Not fully. Then, slowly, the realization dawned on her. Her body tensed as that sour sensation continued to grow, setting her mind and spirit aflame. It was an old feeling, one she had tried to conquer. One that could never fully be defeated.

 _It was fear._

She closed her eyes, not that it gave any true comfort, and breathed in as she tried to reach a meditative state.

 _There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no death, there is the Force._

'Isn't there?'

Her eyes snapped open. She wasn't alone, there was another in this abyss with her. The voice sounded familiar somehow, yet filled her not with comfort but a strange sense of dread. Then, through the infinite blackness there shone a pinpoint of light. Even at this distance she felt something radiate outward from it, calling to her. Almost instinctively she felt her body move towards it.

'What do you know of peace? Of serenity?' the voice called out again, 'You know nothing, and your ignorance will consume you. It will destroy you.'

Yuan could feel the voice around her, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. She tried to call out, to argue, but to no avail; not even a whisper escaped her.

'Look at you.' the voice laughed, 'You are helpless as always. Like a child standing before her mother, begging for protection against the terrors of the night.'

Yuan struggled to maintain her focus. _Get to the light! The light is safe!_

Then the distinctive sound of a lightsaber being drawn from behind her sang out. She could sense the dull, red glow and felt the heat from the laser blade against her skin. Ahead, the light was closer but still so very far away.

'Face me and see the truth of what you are running from.' The voice was stern and full of hatred and power. Yuan felt herself turning despite her complete desire to do the opposite, to focus only on the light ahead.

 _Must resist… There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

'Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength.'

 _There is no passion, there is serenity_

'Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory.'

 _There is no death, there is the Force._

'Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.'

Yuan forced her eyes closed as she felt herself turn to face whatever demon was tormenting her. She knew that voice, it was from her past. A childhood she had tried to flee and forget. Memories which seemed to want nothing more than to tear her apart.

'Awaken', the voice ordered.

Yuan's eyes snapped open and she saw her nightmare staring back at her with hatred and fury behind golden eyes. Eyes she recognized and knew well. Eyes she stared in to every day. Then everything was washed over in the bright, blinding white light.

"Yuan, wake up!"

Yuan heard the voice, it was different this time. Not the harsh, chilling sound of vile darkness but a much warmer tone. One of caring and compassion. Her eyes opened and she blinked from the harsh white light. A shadow hovered over her, slowly coming into focus. She heard herself scream and felt her arms pushing her away from the shadow, those cold, golden eyes burned into her mind's eye, but when her vision cleared it was Rouhan's face she saw and only concern in his eyes.

"It's alright," He said quietly, "You're safe."

"Where… what happened?" She asked. Her head suddenly felt like an overripe fruit about to burst.

"Safe, but not for long." He said cryptically. "We must leave this planet before they sense us."

He helped Yuan to her feet unsteadily and she found herself leaning heavily against his shoulder as he led her down an alleyway.

"Who, Master? Who will sense us?" She asked, quickly shaking the memory of those eyes from her head.

"They won't listen. No one will, but a storm's coming, and it will consume all."

Yuan heard it this time clearly, the strange tone in his voice. Somewhere between obsession and panic, not the calm, even tone she had come to expect from him. She pushed herself away and walked on her own, still unsteady but strong enough. "You mean the Council, don't you?"

"I tried to warn them." He nodded, "Tried to explain what was coming, but they wouldn't listen. They're blinded by their own righteousness." Rouhan pressed himself against the wall and scanned the adjoining street. "We have to get off of this planet and get to where it all began. We have to find the heart of the storm." He motioned for Yuan to follow him.

"Why are we hiding from the Council? Talk to them? Explain to them the visions you've been having." She offered, adding, "They are Jedi. They are sworn to help."

"They are Jedi, yes." He said, "But they have lost faith in the Force. They can't see what I see. Can't know what I know. If they did, they'd already be setting out for the Heart as well."

Ahead the spaceport loomed into view. It wasn't huge, barely large enough for a few orbital shuttles, but it was the only way of transport from here. He motioned for Yuan to stop, eyeing two robed figures nearby. Rouhan spat under his breath; this was going to be more difficult than he had expected. Approaching the forward entrance would only ensure their capture, but it was the only way into the building. There simply was no way to maneuverer around the Jedi stationed outside without being seen, and an open conflict between members of the order was out of the question. Suddenly he cocked his head to the side and offered a slight smile. "Follow me, Padawan, and keep low."

Yuan did as she was instructed, following her master, low and quiet, as they circled long around the guards stationed at the entrance and around the side of the building. On more than one occasion she was certain one of the two men stationed outside would see or hear them, but somehow they managed to reach Rouhan's destination without raising suspicion. Yuan looked at the smooth wall in confusion.

"What now?" She asked.

"What do you do when there is no door?" He smiled, drawing his lightsaber. "You make a door."

He thrust the bright blue blade into the metal wall. It hissed and gave off sparks in protest, but the blade bit in deep. Still, it was slow work.

"Keep on your guard." He said through gritted teeth, "And be prepared to fight if need be."

' _Fight?'_ she asked herself, _'Master, what is going on?'_

Yuan watched the pair of Jedi near the entrance. If they had any suspicions they weren't showing it. A few moments later Rouhan sheathed his blade and, holding out a palm, fore-pushed the still red-hot steel forward, setting the chunk down lightly as to avoid sending any alarm to their would-be captors. "Go. Mind the edges."

Yuan did as instructed, being very wary of the molten metal. After she stepped through, Rouhan followed. He then they carefully concentrated on placing the chunk of metal back into place.

"There are three ships here." He said, turning to her, "All cargo transports. We shall choose one and slip on board. It would be best to remain hidden until we know where the ship is going."

"Master," Yuan said, her voice full of doubt, "why are we doing this? Surely the Council…"

"I've already told you," He hissed. His sudden sharp tone causing her to shrink somewhat, "the Council is blind to what is coming. No one else can stop it." He took a breath and calmed, adding, "No one but us, Padawan. We alone must find the key and stop the storm from consuming all."

"What key?" She asked, still anxious. "Where is it, this key?"

"All in time." He said, his eyes canning the closest transport ship. "I will tell you everything in time, but we must first get on that ship."

She had so many more questions, but knew if she wanted answers she'd have to follow his lead. She scanned the room before them until she saw a promising path. "There," she pointed, "if we move quickly and keep low we can remain hidden by the fuelling droids. We may be able to get close enough to then sneak aboard."

"Yes. Excellent." Rouhan said quickly, and without any further warning he was off.

Yuan leapt to remain at his side as they weaved their way behind various containers and equipment, closing in on the fuelling droids which were currently attached to the ship they wished to board. Suddenly her body froze as a power seized hold of her. She wanted to break free but couldn't. Her limbs refused to obey her mind's command.

Rouhan sensed this and turned, then straightened. "It doesn't have to be this way." He said.

Yuan was about to call out, to demand an explanation when a tall figure walked past her and towards Rouhan. One of the Jedi sentries posted outside.

"No, it doesn't." The Jedi said, his hands held up in a show of pacifistic calm. "Come with me peacefully and allow me to present you to the Council wilfully and no one need be harmed."

"Jarron. Your name is Jarron if my memory serves me." Rouhan said calmly. "And your partner is… Khris. Release my Padawan immediately and leave us in peace."

Jarron shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't do that. Your Padawan isn't under arrest. She'll be free to go, but you, I am afraid, must come with us. It's for your own good, Master. You're not well."

Yuan watched as her Master stared Jarron down. She couldn't see the other, Khris, but knew he was there, concentrating on his force hold on her. As long as he was she would remain incapacitated.

"I am far from unwell." Rouhan said, his eyes locked with Jarron's. "I have seen what is coming, and it threatens us all. The Council is too cowardly to face it for fear of losing what grip they currently have over the order. But you, you can see reason. Join us in our quest. Help us to strike at the heart of the storm and end it before it becomes too strong to stop."

Jarron sighed. "I see. It has progressed that far already, has it?" He loosened his robe and exposed the lightsaber on his hip. "I will ask you only once more, Master. Come peacefully."

"And I will say only once more," Rouhan's voice lowered to a threatening tone, "release my Padawan, leave us in peace or join us. There is no other option."

The two men stared at one another. They were both Masters, both evenly matched. As long as Khris maintained his hold on Yuan he was unable to join in the battle. However, if he did, was yuan strong enough to fend off a Master on her own? She hoped she wouldn't have to find out.

In a flash Jarron leapt forward, his lightsaber flaring to life mid-leap. Rouhan was quick to counter, bringing his own blade up to block the incoming strike, causing the two blades to hiss and spark. A group of bystanders, attracted by the battle, gathered and stared as the two Jedi engaged in a fearsome battle. Rouhan reached out and force-lifted a nearby crate, tossing it at Jarron who, in turn, deflected the object easily.

' _What is he doing?!'_ Yuan's thoughts screamed, _'He knows that such a tactic won't work against…'_ Her mind suddenly went clear and she could see clearly what Rouhan was doing. Each time Jarron launched an attack Rouhan countered, and each time he countered he shifted his position slightly. It would only be a matter of time before he was facing his true target. She readied herself. It wouldn't be long now.

"You were right!" Jarron yelled as he dodged another incoming object, "It doesn't have to be like this!" He brought his blade down hard and again it was countered by Rouhan's. "The Council wants to see that you are made well again!"

"Enough!" Rouhan barked, backing off for another attack. "My Padawan and I have to be going. Now!"

With that Rouhan unleashed a surge of force, not at Jarron, but at Khris, who was still focused on holding Yuan. The blow hit him hard, sending him reeling. His concentration broken, Yuan was free. She drew her own double-bladed lightsaber and readied herself.

Jarron glanced over his shoulder and spat a curse, but seeing that Yuan wasn't approaching his flank, refocused on defending against Rouhan.

Yuan turned to face Khris, seeing the young man for the first time. He was human, or appeared so, and wasn't much older than Yuan herself. He was still sitting on the floor where he had landed, his hand pressed against a gushing gash in his forehead. Yuan sheathed her weapon and raced to attend to him.

Seeing her running towards him, he tensed and reached out for his weapon.

"You're hurt." She said calmly. "Allow me to tend to your wound."

"Why?" He growled, "Your Master has the sickness. He's gone crazy and you're helping him?"

She closed her eyes and focused. One of her special talents lay in her ability to shape the fore to restore health and heal wounds. "You've a serious concussion, but this won't take long."

"No." He slapped her hands away. "I have to save my Master from yours before it's too late." He tried to stand but immediately fell back on to his haunches.

Yuan reached out and concentrated again. "My Master isn't sick. He has visions. The Force shows him what is coming. He's not going to harm your Master. We just want to leave."

Khris gritted his teeth as the wound began to knit itself closed. Behind them the fight between the two Masters was reaching a fevered pitch. "It certainly looks like your Master is taking this fight seriously enough." He looked to her, "Are you certain your know your Master as well as you think?"

She paused, staring back at Khris, then focused on his healing.

"Ow!" He yelped. "Rough."

"The wound is healed," She said, l standing, "but you're still going to be somewhat woozy on your feet for a few hours." She reached out a hand and pulled him to his feet. The color had returned to his cheeks but he wobbled a little on unsteady legs. "Told you." She chirped.

"What are you doing? Get away from him!" Rouhan shouted, making Yuan jump somewhat.

"He was injured. I had to heal him." She said, approaching the two. "He's not a threat. He can't fight."

"Please, Rouhan," Jarron begged, "sheathe your weapon and return with us. No more injuries." He backed off and sheathed his own lightsaber, opening his arms in a gesture of peace. "On my honor I swear to you, your Padawan will not be charged."

Rouhan lowered his blade, his eyes still locked on Jarron's.

"Master, no!" Khris shouted, reaching forward on shaky legs.

Jarron motioned for Khris to remain calm. "We need to trust one another. We are far too scattered and too fractured to allow infighting to risk dividing us further."

"Will you allow my Padawan and I to leave?" Rouhan asked flatly.

"I am sorry, I truly am." Jarron offered.

Rouhan nodded and released a breath. "As am I."

The world around Yuan froze, every instant a seeming eternity. She watched as Rouhan moved quickly, far too quickly for Jarron to react, and with a smooth, quick stroke the battle was over. Jarron fell to his knees, his eyes wide in astonished horror. She could hear an odd, high-pitched sound or alarm. She thought it was her own screaming at first, but quickly realized it was coming from Khris.

"Come!" Rouhan called out for her, but she didn't react. All she could see was the look on Jarron's lifeless corpse. All she could hear was Khris's anguished cries. Rouhan closed the gap between them in a few steps and grabbed Yuan by the wrist, wrenching her towards the ship.

Khris stared at his Master's body. He felt rage boiling in his blood despite his teachings as a Jedi as he watched Yuan and his Master's murderer walk way. Without realizing it he drew his weapon and charged, screaming. Before he could come within striking range Rouhan spun and raised a hand, catching Khris in a force grip.

"You do not need to die." Rouhan said, his voice eerily flat and calm.

Yuan watched in stunned silence as Khris's eyes moved to hers and pleaded, _begged_ for her to do something. Anything!

"Tell the Council not to seek us, not to follow us. We have to strike at the heart of the storm before it is too late. Tell them when you awaken." Rouhan said. On command, Khris's eyes grew heavy and he succumbed to unconsciousness. Rouhan dropped him beside the body of his Master and turned back to the craft. "Come, Yuan." He said.

And she did.


	4. An Oncoming Storm - Chapter Three

**CHAPTER THREE**

"Well, that's that!" Griss slammed the compartment closed and wiped her grease-covered hands on her workshirt. "Fuel coupling's shot, environmentals are shot, targetting's…"

"Shot?" Calhoun quipped, trying to avoid the gravity of the situation.

"How'd you guess?" She threw herself into the seat next to him. "That storm really did a number on the shuttle. I'd hate to have seen what it would have done to the Elysium."

Calhoun ran his eyes over the shuttle's pot-marked hull which ran along its side, like something clawed at it. The image of those eyes flashed in his mind. He quickly tried to shut it out. "How long for repairs?" he sighed.

"Oh, three, four days." She mused, "Assuming we had the parts, which we don't."

"So we head to the closest spaceport and pick up some parts." He leaned back and closed his eyes. As if having Bregg after him wasn't bad enough, now their ability to haul any cargo to the surface discreetly was out of action.

"Assuming we can afford the parts." She started.

"Let me guess," He grimaced, "Which we can't."

"I knew you were more than just average looks." She smiled.

He looked at her with one eye. " _Average_?"

"Master," Nine's voice interrupted, for which Calhoun was thankful. "I have some troubling news."

"Well that's a nice change." He spat.

"Really?" Nine chimed. "I fail to see how anyone could interpret the word 'troubling' as nice."

Calhoun rolled his eyes. "What's the news, Nine?"

"Payment on the last job fell through. It seems the credits provided were counterfeit."

"What?!" Calhoun bit his lip. Sure, he dealt with the scum of the galaxy on a daily basis and had come to expect a certain amount of risk, but nothing was quite as irksome as a dishonest crook.

"Furthermore," Nine began.

"Oh, there's more? Perfect! Just great!" Calhoun rubbed his face with his hands. "Never mind, Nine. Go ahead."

"It seems Bregg survived the events in the storm and has placed a rather sizeable bounty on the Elysium and, more importantly, on you, Master."

From bad to worse to miserable, all in ten minutes.

"How much, exactly?" Griss asked.

"Three hundred thousand for the Elysium, intact. Fifty thousand for you, Master." Nine's over-chipper voice did nothing to help settle Calhoun's mood.

"Only fifty?" Calhoun smirked, "I think I'm insulted. Is that for dead or alive?"

"The contract is silent on that matter." Nine hummed.

"Defiantly insulted." Calhoun looked over to Griss. "What are you smiling about?"

"Oh," She said, glancing at the shuttle, "I'm just thinking fifty thousand would be more than enough to repair the shuttle and refuel the ship. We'd even have a little extra left over for once."

"Laugh it up while you can." He stood and stretched. "We're going to need to find a place to lie low until I can find a slicer to delete the contract."

"Finding work to pay for a slicer is going to be rough when everyone and their grandfather's going to be looking to collect." Griss mused.

Calhoun walked across the hangar, headed for the bridge. "Nine, given our current position and level of fuel, what's the closest planet with an active spaceport and holocomms? Preferably somewhere not tied to Bregg's network."

"We are relatively close to an entrance to the Rimma Trade Route, Master." Nine offered in his usual, annoying upbeat tone, "Given our current range of travel based upon fuel costs, I would suggest one of three nearby planets: Thyferra, Yag 'Dhul and Sullust. None of which are very hospitable given our current circumstances, I'm afraid."

Calhoun considered this. Yag 'Dhul and Sullust were out of Bregg's territory but truly horribly planets to be stranded on. Thyferra was more promising, but the Elysium might be recognized upon docking by someone who had connections to Bregg. "Bring up the map. Highlight the Rimma Route and nearby systems within our range."

A holoprojection of the galaxy flared to life, zooming in to a portion of the map along the left of the core. A yellow line wormed its way along the route, flagging several planets along the way.

"Here is the map, Master." Nine said. A small image of the Elysium appeared and from it a diameter of red spread outward. "This is our current location and our range given our current level of fuel."

"Nine, you mentioned Yag 'Dhul. Doesn't another route interconnect at that planet?" Calhoun asked.

"Yes." Nine said as another line snaked its way perpendicular to the first one, crossing over at the aforementioned planet. "The Corellian Trade Spine, but Master," Nine added, "In order to change routes we will have to drop out of hyperspace and re-enter at the new coordinates. This will consume a higher rate of fuel, limiting our range by approximately three point oh, oh, oh, one per cent."

Calhoun tapped a point on the map. The image of a small, blue-green world popped up. "Can we reach Kinyen?"

"I wouldn't recommend it." Nine warned.

"Can we or can't we, Nine? It's a simple question." Calhoun snapped.

"Assuming we only make the single course correction at Yag 'Dhul, I calculate a seventy-eight per cent chance of reaching Kinyen safely. " Nine offered.

"What about the remaining twenty-two per cent?" Griss asked.

Nine's pitch dropped slightly. "We risk entering the planet's gravitational pull without enough fuel for safe re-entry or landing. The results of which would be… unfortunate."

Griss shook her head and looked to Calhoun. "Even if we make it to the surface in one piece, Kinyen's directly on the route. The chances of Bregg having eyes and ears there are huge."

"I know," Calhoun rubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin, "but I know someone there who owes me a favor."

"Kooriva's closer and off the main route." Griss began.

"And completely overrun by Imperial forces." Calhoun looked at her. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather take my chances with Bregg again." He looked to the map again, "No, we're going to Kinyen. With any luck we can get the supplies and fuel we need as well as wipe the bounty clean and be off to the outer rim in a day, two at the most. Nine, set a course and get us there."

"Of course, Master." Nine chirped.

Griss watched as Calhoun disappeared through the doors leading to the main corridor then turned back to the map. "You'd better damn well know what you're doing." She muttered.

"Aysha, baby. Long time no see." Calhoun flashed his most devilish smile to the holographic projection of a stern-looking Nautolan woman glaring down at him with oversized, black angry eyes. "How've things been with you?"

For a long moment she said nothing; she just stared at him as if she were deliberating over whether she should cut off the call or eviscerate him on the spot.

"I know…" Calhoun said sheepishly, "I should have called sooner.."

"No," She said, her tone giving a sharp edge to the normal lightness of her voice. "You shouldn't have called at all. Not after what you did the last time we were together."

"You're still upset about that?" He grinned nervously, "It's been what, four years?"

She held up a hand, revealing she was missing three digits from her index to ring finger. "Do you realize just how difficult it is to slice anything like this? I was the best."

"You still are, Darlin'. Missing fingers or not." He said, adding, "I'd be willing to bet my life on it."

"Oh really?" She said. He wasn't too happy about the sinister smile that touched her lips. "Why don't you come down here and we'll put that to the test, hm? I'm game."

"About that… I need a favor." He winced as soon as he heard himself say it.

Aysha jerked her head to one side slightly, a Nautolan's way of blinking in disbelief. She struggled for a response and eventually gave the only one which seemed fitting. She disconnected the call.

Calhoun cursed under his breath and punched in her contact details. Just as he thought of giving up, her image appeared again.

"I can't even comprehend the stones you must have to call me after four years, after what you did, and ask for a favor!" She fumed, "You must be a special kind of stupid to try that, Bren!"

He flinched at her use of his first name. Only three people in the galaxy knew it besides himself and she was the only one to use it as a weapon. "Okay, look. I deserve your anger. I acknowledge that. What happened during that job was bad on me. I scruffed up and I'm sorry."

Aysha narrowed her eyes. "Bren Calhoun _apologising?_ " She smiled, " You must rally be in some serious bantha dung."

"I am." He was willing to lay his cards on the table. Most of them, anyway. "I really am, and you're the only one that can help me out." He looked to her with what he hoped was his most sincere face, "I'd owe you a favor in return."

A smile spread slowly across her lips. "You'd owe me a favor, eh? Whatever I want? No questions asked?"

"Well, within reason." He replied.

"Goodbye, Bren. Best of luck with whatever mess you've gotten yourself tangled in this time." She reached to disconnect the call.

"Fine!" He grimaced, not liking this one bit. "Anything you want."

"No questions asked." She added.

He nodded. "No questions."

She leaned back, a genuine smile on her face. It lightened her features and reminded Calhoun why he got into trouble with her in the first place. "Can you dock safely?" She asked, "I hear Bregg's kinda got a thing for you."

"Safe enough." Calhoun said, instantly regretting this call, "I'll see you in about twelve hours. The usual place?"

"I'll be there with bells on." She said, then leaned in to add, "If you screw me over this or try to run, Bregg won't have to pay anyone to get you. I'll do it for nothing and send him the pieces. You know I will."

"Yeah, I know." He said, "Nothing funny. Just business, I promise."

She nodded. "Then my home is your home, Bren. I'll put the kettle on."

The call ended. Calhoun pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

' _This had damn well better be worth it.'_ He thought to himself as he sat back and began to plan what the next day or so would bring.

* * *

"You… killed him."

Rouhan stared at his Padawan. Even in this dark, cramped compartment he could sense the confusion and disappointment on her face. There was no sense in trying to comfort her. "Yes, I did." He said.

Yuan covered he hears with her hands. It didn't help to drown out the sound of Khris's screams from her mind. "I promised him… that we wouldn't hurt them, and you… you killed him. You killed his master."

"He left me no choice." Calhoun started.

"He lowered his weapon!" She screamed, "He wasn't going to attack!"

"He would have prevented us from boarding this ship, from completing our mission!" Calhoun barked at her. Realizing the harshness of his sudden outburst, he took a deep breath before speaking again. "The storm which threatens to consume all is growing. If we do not strike at its heart soon it will not be stopped. Countless innocents will die."

She glared at him, seething. "Jarron was innocent." She shifted her weight and levelled him with a stare. "Khris was right, wasn't he? There is no storm. You're… ill. I was a fool not to see it until now."

Rouhan leaned back. "I see."

Yuan pulled her knees close to her chest and lowered her head into her folded arms.

"I realize I have placed too heavy and too unfair a burden upon you. I expected far too much from someone so young. I release you from your obligation and duties to me." He said flatly.

Yuan's head snapped up in confusion. "Master?"

"I am no longer your master and you are no longer my Padawan." He said. There was no anger or malice in his voice. Just sadness. "The bond between a Master and his Padawan is founded upon trust. I have violated that trust, it seems. Therefore, I am no longer worthy of being your teacher."

She stared at him in disbelief. For years, since she was a child, she had travelled and studied with this man, coming to respect him as a mentor and think of him as a father. Before him she was alone, an orphan living off of scraps in the streets of her village, hiding from those who would seek to do her harm. When Rouhan had found her, for the first time she felt safe and worthy of another's compassion and love. The thought of being alone again frightened her to her core.

"When we reach our destination I will secure you passage back to Tython. You have done no wrong. The Council has no reason to persecute you." He sighed.

"No." She said, "I refuse."

He tilted his head. "You have of being mentally ill; incapable of distinguishing reality and worse, you accused me of the murder of a Jedi of the Order and yet you refuse me to release you from my service? Why?"

She hugged her knees against her even more tightly. "I…" She struggled, not able to find an answer.

"It is alright." He said in a calming tone. "You are a strong woman now, more than ready to accept the role of Master for yourself. Normally a Padawan's current Master would have to make an official recommendation to the Council, but things being as they currently are…" He shook his head at his poor attempt at humor.

A small red light flashed on the wall, bathing them in a crimson hue.

"The Captain's calling for you." She said, lowering her head into her arms again.

Rouhan stared at her, wanting to give some word of assurance or comfort, but finding none. He stood and stretched, then exited the room.

"I am afraid I don't understand." Rouhan glanced at the Nautolan pilot.

"Someone wants you pretty badly." Faesh said, his large, black eyes reflecting Rouhan back at him as he spoke. "Badly enough to have broadcast this across the Network."

Faesh pressed a button on the console. A recording of the spacedock they had left appeared, showing Rouhan land the fatal strike against Jarron. It repeated on a loop.

"I have to say, I am impressed a Jedi would so easily kill one of his own." Faesh said.

"Is this the entire recording?" Rouhan asked.

"I wish it were." Faesh pressed another button and the image shifted slightly to reveal the freighter they were currently on. Further, it showed Rouhan and Yuan boarding. "You've put me in a very unpleasant position, Jedi." Faesh murmured, turning to face Rouhan, revealing the blaster in his lap.

"I apologize for any inconvenience this may have cause you, and assure you I will compensate you for any troubles." Rouhan took a subtle step back and loosened his robes, exposing his lightsaber hanging from his belt.

"Relax. I'm not interested in the bounty on the two of you." Faesh grinned. "However, I will be relieving myself of the two of you at the nearest port. This ship is my life and I can't conduct my business with bounties in my hold."

"We had a deal." Rouhan spat. "I have paid a considerable amount of credits for safe passage to the coordinates I gave you."

"Those coordinates aren't even to any planet listed on the map." Faesh argued. "For all I know it's the dead of space. Besides," he added, "you paid for safe passage. With hunters looking for my ship, that's a promise I can no longer keep. Deal's off. I'll take you to the closest planet on our current route, and to prove I'm an honest businessman," he grinned again, "I'll discount my fare by twenty per cent."

"This is unacceptable." Rouhan said firmly.

"This is life." Faesh said with a final tone. "As I said, I am not interested in the bounties on you and that little girl you have with you, but if you force me to choose between my whip and jettisoning the two of you into space, I'll gladly show you the airlock."

Alone in the darkness of the compartment she was in, Yuan's mind raced, filled with images of Jarron's death. Khris's screams.

' _You are weak.'_ That familiar voice rang in her mind. _'Weak and pathetic.'_

"Shut up." Yuan whispered, once again covering her ears with her hands.

' _You were too weak to protect our mother and you were too weak to protect Jarron.'_ The voice chided, dripping with malevolence. _'Why are you so weak?'_

Yuan began to sing a childhood tune to herself in an attempt to drown out the voice, but to no avail.

' _I'll tell you.'_ The voice said, clearly and loudly, _'Because you allow your fear to restrain you, to tether you. You know this to be true.'_

"Shut up. You're not real. Shut up!" Yuan's voice was shaking.

' _There is only passion.'_

Yuan's humming reached a fevered pitch.

' _Through passion we gain strength.'_

Yuan could feel the familiar ball of white-hot rage welling up from inside of her, fuelled by terror. "I won't let you win." She muttered.

' _You are too weak to fight back. Rest. Allow the passion to flow over you like a cleansing rain.'_

"Stop…"

' _Through strength I gain power…'_

"STOP…"

' _Through power, I gain victory.'_

"STOP!" Yuan screamed, and in doing so unleashed a surge of power which seemed to explode outward from her. Metal bent in protest, the door buckled, glass shattered, and in the end, there was silence. Yuan opened her eyes.

A shadow sat across from her in the darkness, staring back at her with golden, hate-filled eyes. A slow, cruel smile spread across its face. A moment later the doors opened partially as Rouhan returned. He studied the damage, shouldering the door open wider, and looked upon Yuan.

"I don't think I should be alone just yet, Master." She said, a sense of detachment in her voice.

"No." He replied, "I don't believe you should."

* * *

In the darkness of his personal chamber, Lord Drathan opened his eyes, pulled out from his deep meditation. There was a disturbance in the Force, of that he was certain. A slight tremble, like the ripples from a pebble tossed into a pond, but something had defiantly shifted. He let out a breath and stood, allowing the blood to return to his limbs, and turned his gaze out the window of his compartment, to the empty field of stars outside.

A light moan came from the bed against the far wall. "Stop sulking. I hate it when you sulk."

Drathan chuckled over his shoulder. "Go back to sleep, Acien."

The young man lifted himself from the sheets, his hair was a mess, bruises and scars ran along his chest and shoulders. Still, he was a beautiful sight to behold, and among a long list of lovers Drathan had entertained over the years, the only one he could never find the strength to refuse.

"Too late for that now." Acien stretched, flexing well-sculpted pectorals as he moved into a yawn. "Might as well get up and do… something." He said sleepily. "Surely there's some form of entertainment on this ship to keep me occupied. Unless…" He smiled to Drathan coyly.

Drathan sighed and shook his head. "You will be the death of me one day, of that I am certain." Drathan closed the space between them and ran his fingers through Aicen's tangled blonde hair. "But not today. Today I must meet with the Chancellor and report our latest findings, and for this I must have all my wits about me, I am afraid."

Aicen pouted again, pulling away from Drathan's touch. "Maybe I'll find someone, not something, to occupy my time then."

"If that is what you wish, so be it." Drathan said, adding "And when you do I will make them beg for death long, long before I grant it to them. And as for you…" Drathan cupped his hand under Aicen's chin and pulled the man's face towards his. "You have never known suffering the likes which I would bring down upon you."

The two stared at one another for a moment, then Aicen grinned and pulled his face away from Drathan's grip. "Promises, promises." Aicen left the bed and walked to the lavatory. Drathan watched his supple form, scanning every curve and drinking in every movement. Once the door had closed and the vision ended, he sighed and turned back to the window, his mind locked back on that subtle ripple in hopes of unravelling the additional mystery of why it troubled him so.

Drathan turned on his heels and left the room to the sound of Aicen's singing.

In the darkness she sat, her wrists and ankles bound by heavy shackles and her mouth gagged by a painful leather and steel brace. How long had it been since she walked freely in the sun? She couldn't remember. All she knew now was darkness, pain and fear.

The door opened and white light shattered the darkness, blinding her. She shied away from it as best she could but had nowhere to go; the cage around her was barely large enough to hold her if she remained kneeling. She turned her hear towards the light, but all she could see was the tall, black shadow of her captor. He didn't speak, he didn't make any sound at all. He merely watched her. She tried to plead for her life, for her death, but the gag made it impossible for her to utter a single word.

After a moment the door closed and she was washed in utter darkness again. She wanted to cry out, to scream, to unleash even the slightest of sounds, but all she could do was lean against the cold bars of her prison and wait. One day her captor would remove her from her cage again and bring her into the sun. This thought did not comfort her, it did not bring her any sense of relief, for she knew on that day, like those before it, countless people would die because of her. When they had, and everything lay in ruin, her captor would bring her back to the darkness where she would again fear the light she had once loved so dearly.

Drathan stood just outside the door to her cage, considering what to say to the Chancellor, a man who so desired this feeble little creature for her potential use as a weapon he was blinded to the fact she was still unpredictable, a loose cannon ready to explode at any moment. Would he be willing to accept Drathan's recommendation that further testing and training be done? Most probably not. Then there was the matter of the tremor in the Force. A bad omen or some larger threat?

Drathan realized he was absently rubbing his leg again. The numbness had lingered in the past, but never quite this long. Worse, it was coming more frequently. He cursed himself silently and shook it off, moving towards the lift to the ship's holoterminal.

He exited the lift and motioned to the guards to leave the room, which they did unquestioningly. Once the doors had been closed and locked behind them, he punched in the communication codes and waited until the image of an obese old man appeared.

"I had begun to think you had forgotten about our meeting, Drathan." The Chancellor said.

Drathan knelt and lowered his head. "I did not, Chancellor. I am here to report as ordered."

"Excellent," The Chancellor smiled, "How is the project progressing? Was she effective?"

Drathan stood and nodded. "Quite. We tested her powers on a small Smuggler's Moon. I am transmitting the data now."

Drathan made some entries on the pad he was carrying. A moment later the Chancellor's smile widened. "Amazing… absolutely beautiful."

"Sir," Drathan interjected, bracing himself, "I am not certain she is ready to move into the next stage quite yet. She needs more time."

The smile faded as quickly as it had spread across the Chancellor's face. "I beg your pardon? The data you have just shown me concludes she is more than ready."

"I do not believe it does, Chancellor." Drathan made another entry on his pad. "If you are willing, note that although we were able to get her to initiate her power, calming her was an incredibly difficult task. If she hadn't been sedated our troopers wouldn't have been able to subdue her."

The Chancellor looked over the report and tossed it aside. "A trivial matter." He said.

"Sir?" Drathan tried to hold back his disbelief in the man's rather blasé attitude of the news.

The Chancellor leaned forward, making his fat head appear even larger and more grotesque. "Keep her sedated at all times. Increase the dosage if you have to and double the men to guard her.

"I do not believe that would work," Drathan began.

"Nonsense!" The Chancellor interrupted. He narrowed his eyes at Drathan. "Or is there something else going on? You want to keep her and use her for yourself, yes? Maybe even use her against me, is that it?"

Drathan snapped to attention. "My loyalty lays with the Empire and with you, Chancellor. Of that there can be no question."

The Chancellor studied Drathan for a long moment, weighing him up, then burst into laughter, dribbling spittle on his chin. "No, I know this, Drathan!" He shook his head, his voice levelling somewhat. "I accept your report and commend you on your service to the Empire. The project will move forward as originally scheduled. I expect no delays."

Drathan lowered himself in a bow, hiding his sneer. "Thank you, Chancellor. As you command."

He could feel the Chancellor's image staring down at him, boring into the back of his head, then the terminal went dark. Drathan swore aloud, his voice echoing off of the dark durasteel walls. He set his jaw and turned to the exit. As the doors opened the guards re-entered the room.

"Tell the captain to alter our course immediately." Drathan snapped.

"Yes, sir!" one of the guards said, then asked "What is our new destination?"

"Yag 'Dhul."

* * *

Calhoun stepped into the abandoned farmhouse carefully, his blaster at the ready. Griss walked a few paces behind him, silent as the wind.

"Aysha? We're here! Come on out, Darlin'!"

There was no response. Calhoun crept in further. He heard a slight brush of a boot on the grass behind him. He realized he had never heard Griss make a sound when stalking before. As he was about to turn to her he felt the familiar cold metal barrel of a blaster press against his head.

"Turn around, slow." Said a male voice.

He turned. The man holding the blaster was human, or human-like in appearance, and was about as wide as he was tall. Behind him Griss gave a meek shrug, a similar blaster placed against her head by another goon.

"Look," Calhoun started, flashing a smile, "I don't know what you guys are doing here and I don't care. I'm supposed to be meeting someone here and I think you'd better scatter before she gets here. She has a little of a temper."

"Do I now?" Aysha said, appearing from the shadows. "Nobody's ever told me that before, Bren."

Calhoun winced. "Well, no one knows you like I do, eh?" He chirped.

"Where are they?" Aysha asked.

"Where are who?" Calhoun replied.

"The two killer dancers you keep around." She said flatly.

"Ah, back on the ship." He smiled, "I didn't see the need to bring everybody down here to meet you. After all, I didn't figure you'd set me up like this, Aysha."

"Mmm-Hmm." She hummed. "For their sake I hope you're telling the truth, 'cause if my men find them, they have orders to kill them on sight. And believe me," her voice lowered into a purr, "They are very good shots."

Calhoun grimaced. He had ordered them to take sniper positions in case anything went sour, somehow expecting Aysha to make a play. Without cyber implants, however, he couldn't call them off and tell them to return to the ship.

"Fine." He said, and then whistled a few low, twittering notes. A moment later the Twins crept forward from the shadows, sheathing their vibroblades.

Aysha shook her head. "I expected as much. Order everyone to drop their weapons. Now."

"You heard the lady." He said, "We're in her house. Her rules."

The Twins moved forward and dropped their blades, then took position behind Calhoun. Griss tossed her blaster into the pile as well. Calhoun dropped his blaster to the ground. "I'll be wanting that back after." He said.

Aysha moved forward, coming to just a few inches from Calhoun. She smiled and licked her lips, then leaned forward. "You're not in any position to make demands, lover."

The last thing Calhoun experienced before the blackness overtook him was bright white stars and the red, seething sensation of a blaster butt crashing into his skull.


	5. An Oncoming Storm - Chapter Four

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Calhoun felt himself coming to. He hated this part the most. It was like coming out of a peaceful sleep, feeling well-rested and bright for a new day. Then came the sudden rush of nausea and the skull-splitting pain, the body's way of reminding you that reality is always a much, much more unpleasant sensation. His eyes began to flutter, allowing shards of intense white light to shatter the comfort of the darkness as he rolled on to his side with a moan.

"Well," came Aysha's voice from somewhere else in the room. A bit too chipper for Calhoun's liming. "The prodigal son rises."

Calhoun pushes himself to a seated position and cradled his head in his hands. From what it felt like, this was to hold his skull in one piece rather than dropping his innards across the floor.

"Stop being dramatic. You've been given a koto pack for the wound." Aysha chirped. "The pain will subside in an hour or two."

"We had a deal." Calhoun managed to croak out.

"We still do, apparently." Came Griss's voice from across the room. Calhoun looked up and shielded his eyes with his hand against the light to see Griss and the Twins seated at the table with Aysha. There was even a pot of Caldarrian Tea on the table.

"You've got to be kidding me." Calhoun grimaced as he tried to stand, immediately falling back into his rump from unsteady legs. "Why?"

"Do you have any idea how many second-rate bounty hunters are on this rock looking to make a quick score?" Aysha stood and walked a hot cup of tea over to where Calhoun was seated. She pushed the cup to him. "Here, this will settle the stomach a bit."

Calhoun glared at her as he took the cup, bringing it to his lips. The immediate relief from the sweet Caldarrian Berryblossoms with the added touch of honey was a welcome sensation.

"They had to believe the bounty had been settled." She purred, parting the hair on his crown with her fingers. "And you know me. I never do anything by half. I had to make to look good."

He pulled away from her touch and sat the tea down. "Always the professional." He muttered, then looked to his crew. "Were any of you hurt?"

"No. It seems the bounty was for you and the ship, not us." Griss said, adding "We have been taken very good care of." The Twins nodded in unison.

"Wonderful. Glad to hear it." Calhoun tried to stand again. Aysha reached out to help him steady, but he pushed her hand away. He walked on shaky legs, throwing himself in a chair at the table. "What about my ship?" he finally managed to ask.

"I've taken the liberty of making a few alterations to Bregg's contract." Aysha said, leaning back and folding her legs. "There was this captain that backed out of a trade on some aquasynth replicators a few months back. Because of that, my client cancelled the deal and I was out a fair share of credits." A cruel smile formed on her lips. "Oddly enough, his ship description somehow made it into Bregg's contract instead of yours. Oops."

Calhoun shook his head and instantly regretted it. "I need another shot of koto."

"Sorry, Bren." Aysha said, "I'm out. In fact, I'm low on quite a few supplies lately." She locked her eyes with his and smiled. Which is where you come in."

He winced, this time from the fact he remembered his promise to her. _No questions asked._ "At least give me enough time to get my senses together before giving me jobs, ya?"

"Oh, trust me." She said as she rose and walked over to where he was seated. "This job's going to take some planning to pull it off. You've have plenty of time to recover."  
Griss folded her arms across her chest and levelled Calhoun in a glare. "Just what have you gotten us in to this time?"

"I don't know… yet." He looked up at Aysha, becoming increasingly worried by the smug look on her face. "But I have a feeling it's going to be a whole lotta fun."

They stared up at the holoprojection Aysha had just shown them in the same state of disbelief. Even the Twins, who were usually unshakable, blinked at one another with concern.

"No. No, no and no!" Calhoun barked. As if to add an exclamation, he slammed his boots on the table and crossed his arms in defiance. "You're insane."

Ausha sighed raised the lights, then took a seat opposite Calhoun. For a moment she just stared at him, not saying anything. With a mighty sweep of her arms she suddenly knocked his booted feet off the table, almost sending him to the floor as well. "We had a deal, Bren. A solid deal. No isn't an option."

"Anything else, sure." He started, "Want me to steal, beg or maim? I'll do it. But this…"

"A deal is a deal." Aysha gritted her teeth. Two of her goons took position behind them. Calhoun didn't need to look to see their hands were to their blasters.

"Aysha." Calhoun leaned forward and used the most sincere tone he could muster, "I'm not saying I won't pull a favor as promised, but this one is… suicide. You're talking about boarding an Imperial ship, which alone is crazy enough, but then you want me to somehow make my way into the prison hold, free someone and somehow manage not only to get him on my ship, but to live long enough to actually bring them here. Can you not hear the insanity of that plan?"

"It's not even a plan." Griss chimed in, "It's a fantasy."

"The Elysium would be shot down before we could even get close enough to dock." Calhoun emphasised.

"You wouldn't be taking the Elysium." Aysha said, pressing another button on the holoprojector. "Last year we came into possession of a Fury class Imperial transport ship. The few crew that were on board were initially reluctant to part with it, but my men were able to persuade them." The image revealed the ship, its sleek, sharp angles and cold grey-and-black design making it distinctively Imperial. "It took some time, but I was able to slice into the integrated mainframe using the cyber-implants of one of the pilots."

"Implants?" Calhoun asked.

"I had to use the pilot's personal credentials to access the computer's core systems." She said, adding "I'll spare you the messy details."

"Thanks for that." Calhoun was genuinely grateful.

She pressed a button and the image of a Twi'lek dressed in a white coat, a thick monocle over one eye. "This is Doctor Vaerel. He is the man you will be extracting from custody. It is imperative he be returned unharmed."

"Why do the Imps want him?" Griss asked.

"Because of his research. He claims to have found a way to give force-like abilities to non-force users. When the Empire heard of this they spare no resource in hunting him down. They finally found him on Coruscant."

Calhoun raised an eyebrow. "The Imps went all the way to Coruscant to extract this guy?"

"They must have wanted him pretty badly." Griss added.

"Indeed," Aysha said, "and they will stop at nothing to keep him, so getting him out isn't going to be easy."

"This is where the Fury comes in. It was initially assigned as a prisoner transport for this man." Aysha pressed another button and the image of a stern-looking human appeared. "His name is Maddigan and he's wanted by the Empire for crimes including sabotage, subterfuge, murder and illegal surveillance, to name a few."

"Good resume." Griss said, glancing at Calhoun. "Maybe we should recruit him."

"You won't have to. He will be accompanying you." Aysha smiled. "He just doesn't know this yet."

Calhoun looked at her, incredulous. "He's here, on Kinyen? Now?"

"Yes." Aysha nodded.

"And he's managed to evade Imperial imprisonment all this time?"

She nodded again.

"How then," He asked, "are we supposed to convince him to just hop on board and allow us to bring him directly to an Imperial cruiser?"

Aysha smiled again. For some reason, that smile was really beginning to annoy Calhoun. "I'll leave that up to you."

"Excuse me." Griss chimed in, "So the plan is to fly this ship with this Maddigan guy to dock with an Imperial cruiser. Evan assuming we somehow pull this off," She questioned, "how are we supposed to walk freely into the holding area of this cruiser, let alone remove this Doctor?"

Aysha winked and tapped a button. "Not 'we', dear. Meet Captain Drae, Imperial Interrogator and Chief of Prisoner Transport."

Griss burst out in astonished laughter. The Twins giggled quietly.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" Calhoun blinked as he stared at his own face projected back to them, dressed in an Imperial uniform.

"Nope. How's your Imperial accent, anyway?" Aysha beamed.

"I've never had to fake an accent before." Calhoun bemoaned.

"Well, you'd better practice it before you meet up with Maddigan." She quipped.

"Why?"

"Because, Bren." She licked her lips, "Like I said, he doesn't know he's helping us yet. I doubt he's going to be very cooperative at first."

Calhoun groaned and rubbed his face with his hands.

"In return, any record of Bregg's contract on you will simply cease to exist." Aysha said, adding, "I may even see to adding a chunk of the reward credits offered into your personal account."

"Two questions," Calhoun started.

"No questions." She wagged a finger. "That was the agreement. Either you do this for me as you promised, or…" she nodded to her men, "We're going to have a problem."

Calhoun swore. He was trapped and he knew it. Worse, Aysha knew it.

"Take the Fury, go get Maddigan." Aysha said firmly. "That Imperial ship won't be around forever. Get in, get out. No sightseeing."

Calhoun looked to Griss for support, but there was none. Instead, she turned to Aysha. "I guess we'd better get dressed then."

...

"Are you serious?" Calhoun complained as he tried unsuccessfully to find a comfortable adjustment in his uniform. "How do they even breathe in these things?"

Griss was making adjustments of her own and having about as much luck. She glanced at him as he spoke in his best Imperial accent, "OI! Get on wit it, ya Rebel scum!"

"That's the best you can do?" She winced.

"You can do better?" he asked.

Griss tapped her throat. "You are the saboteur known as Maddigan. You are hereby placed under arrest for crimes against the Empire. Please come along peacefully or we will have no choice but to open fire."

Calhoun sneered. Her accent was flawless. "Showoff."

She laughed and tossed something to him. He opened his palm and looked at the small device. It was a simple disk, about an inch in diameter. "Place this against your larynx. The color will match your skin tone." She grinned. "Tap it once to activate it, again to deactivate."

He pressed the thing against his throat. It adhered immediately and in an instant faded to invisibility as it matched his skin's pigment. He tapped it lightly and turned to Griss. "I am Captain Drae of the Imperial Interrogator's Office. I am here to take the prisoner to a more secure sector."

He was impressed. If he didn't know any better he'd have thought he had been born an Imp. He tapped the device again and spoke in his own voice. "Nice. Where'd you pick these up from?"

"Aysha." Griss said, "She wasn't taking any bets on you pulling off the accent on your own." She reached down and picked up a comm, attaching it to her collar.

He took his seat and looked over the piloting controls. They were different than what he was used to, but easy enough, he figured. "You don't have to do this, you know." He said, not looking up at her. "This isn't your debt to pay."  
She turned to him and studied him for a moment. He was clever enough not to look up to meet her eyes. She was Lorrdian, after all. Even the slightest, subconscious flick of an eyelid was all it would take for her to read him like a book. Then again, he realized, bot turning to look at her would tell her just as much.

She took a seat next to him and casually began the final flight check. "You two go back. I get it. She's still angry at you."

"That much I can tell on my own." He muttered.

"But she cares for you a great deal as well, although she'll never admit it." Griss looked at him, adding, "We can trust her. This mission is about the stupidest, craziest thing I can remember us ever attempting, but we can trust her on this."

He looked to her, "It's not that I don't trust her. It's… I scruffed up once. Ended up costing me a partner and Aysha her fingers. Probably worse."

"What happened?"

"We were junkrunners." He said, focusing on the controls even more intently than before. "We'd hit the places raved by war. Balmorra, Alderaan and the like and scavenge scrap droid parts for sale on other worlds. It was crap credits and horrible hours but it was honest work. One day on Tattoine, we had just finished a deal with targeting subprocessors when we were approached by a man with an offer that sounded too good to pass up."

He leaned back and stared out the window, to the hangar they were docked inside and continued. "He said he was a competitive moisture farmer who was looking for an edge in the trade. Wanted a slicer to spike a weather satellite. Gave us a range of files he was looking for and offered more credits then we'd ever made in a year of scavenging. Even offered half up front." He shook his head, "Ever hear that adage, if it's too good to be true it probably is?"

"I take it you didn't get the files you were looking for." Griss asked as she tried to find a comfortable position in the tight grey uniform.

"Oh no, we got em. That was pretty easy, actually." He sighed. "What we didn't know is that it wasn't a local weather satellite, it was an Imperial listening post, and those filed we nabbed, apparently were more valuable than migratory precipitation patterns. Much more. That was our first clue we'd been had. The second was when Aysha forwarded the files to the buyer. Once he had them he sent a feedback pulse through the network. Wiped our systems clean. Erased every trace of himself completely.

"That was bad enough", he continued, "Only, it wasn't the end. The Imps had a nasty little surprise. They were smart enough to run an AI security protocol beneath the primary firewall. That little sucker kept itself hidden and tracked our location, alerting the Imperial Guard in the meantime. Led them right to us. It was actually what gave me the idea to integrate Nine into the ship's computer." He chuckled. The moment was fleeting. His tone lowered again as he continued, "By the time I got wind of them, it was too late. We were surrounded. I always kept a back door, just in case. This time it happened to be an entrance to the sewers. At the first sign of trouble I bolted. I thought Aysha was right behind me."

"But she wasn't, was she?" Griss shook her head. The pain on his face was, to anyone else, imperceptible. To her it came like waves.

"They grabbed her. Demanded to know where her partner was. She insisted she was working alone. She covered for me… then they took her. They took her and I never even lifted a finger to try and spring her. I just saw in the dark, covered in filth, quiet and scared out of my wits while they took her away. She didn't' scream. Didn't yell. She just allowed them to escort her away."

"What could you have done?" Griss offered.

"I could have gone after her. I could have done _something_. Anything other than finding the next transport ship off of that planet. Three years and a full crew later and I see her siting in a cantina."

"What'd you do?" She asked.

"What I _wanted_ to do was go up to her, drop into the seat next to her and buy a few rounds like nothing had ever changed."

"Did you?"

"No." he said, "Not even close. I made a break for the door before she could see me. Never looked back."

Griss leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "Why didn't you? Surely she would have understood that back then…"

"Because everything _had_ changed, Griss." He turned back to the ship's controls, spinning his back to her. "I wasn't the same nerfhedfer I was back then and she… I could still see some of the scars from the interrogation droids on her. And her hand…" he shook his head and focused. "I owe her this. I do…" he looked to Griss, a cold fire of determination in his eyes. "But you don't. there's no need to get dragged into this mess because of me."

She looked at him. It wasn't pity on her face, but one of gentle admiration. "You wouldn't get past the first checkpoint without me. Like it or not, we're in this together." She smiled, adding "Bren."

"I'll give you that one for free. Don't get used to it." He grinned at her.

...

Drathan sighed as he pulled his leather gloves over his hands. He had been to many worlds and experienced many things, but the stench in the air of Yag'Dhul was something he hoped he would never experience again. There was a… spice to it. A heavy musk of fetid flesh and burning stone that challenged his constitution with every breath he took. The sooner he was done with this world and back in the comfort of his ship the better. He motioned for the Imperial Interrogation Droid to back off and knelt down to the Givin which lay on the floor before him, broken and shivering, black ichor of blood oozing from its torn and burned flesh.

It raised a feeble hand and begged. "No more. I can take no more."

Drathan nodded, motioning to the troopers nearby to lift the Givin to its feet, which they did jarringly. "Be gentle!" he admonished, "and fetch it some water to soothe its throat." He then looked to the pathetic creature before him. "I regret it has come to this. I truly am, but you have information which I require. If you would only share it with me this would all end."

A trooper handed the creature a glass, but it was far too weak to reach for it. "Give it to him yourself." Drathan ordered.

The Givin drank then shook its head. "I have told you… everything I know about hat which you seek." Its voice was rough and strained. "I have nothing more to tell."

Drathan stood. "I am afraid I just can not accept that. You see, I know it's here somewhere. Further, I know you know where it is. As you can see, this presents me with a certain inability to take what you are saying at face value, no offence intended." He looked over the creature's bruised and torn flesh. "You've put up with a considerable amount of interrogation techniques, impressively so, and you've convinced me that physical pain is not enough of an incentive for you."

Drathan motioned. The doors opened and two troopers dragged in a bound and unconscious Givin female. Drathan watched as a look of recognition and fear clouded the wounded Givin's features. "Don't worry," He said, "She hasn't been harmed. Merely sedated. Your… daughter, I presume? Really, I don't mean to be offensive, but you all look quite similar to me, it's hard to tell."

"She knows nothing." The Givin pleaded.

"Oh, that I actually believe." Drathan offered, "However, I also believe you know far more than you're willing to share, so it seems we are at an impasse."

One of the troopers injected the female Givin with a hypo. Almost instantly her eyes opened and she looked around the room to gather her bearings, her eyes suddenly locking into her father. "Father! What is happening? Who are these men?"

"Good evening." Drathan said, giving a polite bow. "I am Lord Drathan of His Majesty's Imperial Service. I do apologize for the impolite nature of this impromptu meeting, but it seems your father has information I am very keen on gaining access to, to which he has been somewhat stubborn in relinquishing."

She glanced from Drathan to her father, confused and terrified.

"This will be over soon, my dear." Drathan smiled, then motioned for his men. She screamed as a baton was slammed into her legs, just behind the knees, forcing her down. The droid floated closer, its many deadly appendages spinning and flexing with a sadistic sense of purpose.

"No! Don't!" The Givin man screamed. "I've told you, she knows nothing!"

"And I told you," Drathan retorted, "I believe you. We aren't going to ask her any questions. We are merely going to peel away the layers of her flesh until _you_ tell me what I want to know." He took a seat next to the Givin man and folded his legs. "Before we begin, are you comfortable? Can I get you anything? I would so be disappointed if I allowed hunger or thirst to distract you from what is surely going to be a long and tedious show."

The droid engaged its dermal-tissue scalpel and reached out, the laser blade humming. The female screamed again.

"Please remain still." The droid said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Movement during operation will result in additional and unwanted damage and may result in premature death."

"What you seek is no longer on this world!" The man shouted.

Drathan motioned with his hand and the probe backed off, but only slightly. "Go on." He said.

"We tried to protect it, to keep it hidden, but it wouldn't allow us to. It hungered to return it its masters." The man was babbling, almost incoherent. The fact it didn't speak Basic was another issue altogether.

"What do you mean it wouldn't allow you to?" Drathan barked, then warned, "I am losing my patience. Tell me where it is, _now_ , or she dies."

"It came with the Outsiders during the invasion. At first we thought it was a weapon, then perhaps a key to a worldgate, but it was none of these things. We had no choice. We had to distance ourselves from its influence."

Drathan groaned. "This is the last time I will ask. Where. Is. It?"

The man stared into the terrified eyes of his daughter, then closed them tight. "I am sorry, my daughter. I can not… I can not allow such evil to be unleased. Forgive me."

Drathan set his jaw and motioned to the droid.

"Commence."

...

"So you were able to gather no information on the device?" The projected image of the Chancellor glowered down upon Drathan.

"Very little." Drathan said, his head lowered. "We know it is no longer on Yag'Dhul. Of that I am certain he was speaking truthfully."

"I see." The Chancellor gritted his teeth, fuming. "Yet you left him without extracting the exact whereabouts? Perhaps I have overestimated your abilities all these years."

"He is still alive." Said Drathan, "And he shall remain until he gives us what we want to know or he is the last remaining living Givin on the planet, whichever comes first."

"We do not have the time for such games. I have dispatched a High Inquisitor to meet you on Yag'Dhul and assist you in gathering the location of the artifact."

Drathan's head snapped up. "With all due respect, Chancellor, I don't need anyone's assistance. He will talk."

"And if he does not?" The Chancellor queried angrily. "What do you know of Sith interrogation techniques, Lord Drathan?" He didn't want for an answer before continuing, "There is a reason they are so effective. They go beyond the physical and emotional, delving into the very psyche of those being questioned. The willingness of the individual no longer becomes a bastion for them to reside in. The information is extracted directly from their mind, quickly and effectively."

"I don't need a forceweilder interfering with my interrogation." Drathan snapped. "I am quite capable of.."

"Are you?" The Chancellor interrupted. "Let's put that to the test, shall we? The Inquisitor will arrive at Yag'Dhul in approximately two days. You have that amount of time to extract the information we seek. Succeed and I shall recall her. Fail and she will assume command of this mission."

Drathan seethed. Not only was this fool questioning his honor and abilities, but he threatened to bring a Sith into the mix under the threat of usurping his command.

"Forty-eight hours, Lord Drathan." The Chancellor smirked. "Succeed or fail, you do so on your own merit in two days' time. "

The image went black and Drathan was again alone, enveloped in fury. He turned on his heels and stormed through the doors and proceeded to march down the hall, back to the interrogation room. Troopers at the door snapped to attention. They could feel the rage coming off from him in waves.

Drathan waved his hand to droid, harshly pushing it away from the female Givin and taking her face in his gloved hand. "Have either of them given the whereabouts of the relic?"

"No, Sir. I am afraid both of them seem to remain rather obstinate." The droid chimed emotionlessly.

The female had been flayed; the flesh of her face hung in tatters, exposing bone and jaw. Black blood fell in a pool around her, but she was still alive. Drathan dragged her back to where the male knelt and dropped her at its feet. "You have less than forty-eight hours to tell me exactly what I want to know."

"I… can not. You do not undertand…" The Givin muttered. Drathan cut him short by drawing a long, wicked-looking blade from his belt and slamming it into the skull of the female. She was dead before she fell to the ground.

The male closed his eyes and turned his face from the sight of his daughter's murder. Drathan grabbed his face and brought the tip of his blade to the creature's eye.

"Oh, no." Drathan said, all charm and politeness gone. "You do not get to look away from this. You will watch." Drathan stood and tossed the blade to a nearby trooper.. "Remove this man's eyelids. I don't want him to miss a single moment." He turned for the exit, then spun, "Find any other relatives, friends, associates… I don't care how distant the relation. Gather them here and have him witness each of their deaths!"

Drathan turned back to the Givin male with unmasked fury. "I will kill every last Givin male, female and child in this village. I will order orbital strikes to lay waste to any other villages and cities on this hemisphere. I will ensure every pathetic creature sees your face before they die so they know exactly who it was that sentenced them to death until you tell me what I want to know!"

"Please…" the Givin whispered, "I can not tell you this thing. Kill me. Just… kill me."

Drathan smiled. Not a friendly smile, but one born from angry frustration. "No. You will survive. I will make sure if this. I will have the droid heal your wounds and pump you full of stims just so you can bear witness of to the extinction of your species. Then I will leave you here, alone, to bury your dead."

Drathan activated his communicator. "Tempest, this is Lord Drathan. What is the closest village to my current location? Preferably one with a dense population?"

A male voice crackled over the comm. "It appears there is a village approximately sixty-five kilometers south, southwest of you, sir. Population of around sixteen thousand."

"Target the village with the ion cannons. Raze it to the ground. Make sure nothing remaining lives."

"Yes, sir. Targeting now.." the voice said, "On your order to fire, Sir."

"Fire."

The villagers would have heard a strange humming and tasted ionization in the air, as if a massive lightning storm were about to appear, then the skies opened and death rained down upon them in a blaze of bright, white ionized plasma. It would happen three more times.

The voice crackled over the comm again, "Orbital strike complete. Calculating total destruction of the village, Sir."

"Survivors?" Drathan sneered.

"None. I am reading no Givin life signs in the immediate area."

"Good." Drathan looked to his prisoner as he fell into silent shock. "Now, every hour on the hour target another village and exterminate the vermin within. Do this until I order otherwise."

The Givin man's jaw dropped. He wanted to beg, to scream out, l to say _anything_ , but all that escaped his throat was a stunned wheezing.

Drathan grabbed a chair from elsewhere in the room and dragged it beside the Givin man. He sat and motioned to the trooper with the knife. "You have your orders. Remove this creature's eyelids and bring the other prisoners in for the droid to perform on." He then looked to the man as the trooper reached out to complete his mutilation. "How many, do you think, will die within the next forty-eight hours because of you, hmm?"

The Givin man screamed as the lids were sliced from his eyes. Unable to blink he could only watch in horror as a trooper led a frightened Givin child into the room before him.

Drathan motioned to the droid. "Proceed."

...

Calhoun and Griss entered the cantina. Eyes from around the bar darted, glancing at their Imperial uniforms before quickly averting their gaze. Griss reached up and tapped her throat to activate her voice disguiser. Calhoun pretended to cough as he did the same.

They walked to the barman, a tall Human with a wicked scar which ran from beneath his left eye to the right of his chin. The barman looked them over and sat the glass he was cleaning down before asking "Can I get you two anything?"

"We're looking for a man which fits this description." Calhoun said, passing an image of Maddigan across the bar.

The Barman looked down and pushed the image back to him. "Look, I don't really care what business the Empire has here. I run a clean business and barely make enough profit to cover costs, but you wanna tangle with Maddigan?" He shook his head, "I don't think I have enough credits to cover the fallout, ya know?"

Calhoun shook his head. "You want us to… compensate you for the potential damage of your establishment?"

The Barman shrugged and started cleaning another glass.

Calhoun and Griss exchanged a glance. She stepped back and placed a hand on her blaster as Calhoun grabbed the Barman by the throat and pressed the barrel of his own blaster in the man's chest. To his surprise, the man began to chuckle.

"What's so amusing?" Calhoun demanded, pressing the weapon even harder into the man's chest.

"Oh, he just thinks it's funny when Imps make stupid mistakes and end up getting themselves killed." Came a voice from behind them.

Calhoun turned and for the first time noticed that all the cantina's customers had cleared out. All except one. Maddigan.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Calhoun sighed at the sight of the man. The holos did him no justice whatsoever. Maddigan was an impressive and intimidating looking man, standing at nearly seven feet and about as wide. Calhoun recognized the small metallic implants on Maddigan's chest and arms immediately. Combat mods: improved reflex, speed and strength. Calhoun released the Barman and holstered his blaster. "Okay, look. Um, you're under arrest for crimes against the Empire and…"

Calhoun never even saw Maddigan move. All he knew was the mountain of a man closed the space between them and landed a right hook to Calhoun's jaw, sending him flying over the bar and into the array of bottles and booze.

Griss stared with wide eyes, then looked to Maddigan.

"Don't fret now, Missy. I don't fight women." He said, adding with a toothy grin, "Unless they're armed, that is."

Griss glanced down to her blaster, lowering it.

"Smart lass." He winked.

From behind the bar Calhoun silently cursed Aysha's name as he wiped the blood from his lip and climbed back up, grabbing the largest bottle he could reach as a makeshift weapon.

 _We're definitely going to have a conversation about how we treat our friends!_ He thought to himself as he launched into an attack.


	6. An Oncoming Storm - Chapter Five

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Rouhan stared at the Nautolan's back as he returned to his ship. They were safe, for now, but still a great distance from where they needed to be.

' _And time is running out.'_ He thought to himself, pulling his hood over his head and turning away from the landing port. He barely looked down as he passed Yuan seated on a nearby bench. "Come." He ordered.

They continued towards the customs station where a young officer was checking in offworld visitors upon their arrival. He looked up to two Jedi as they approached and smiled. "Hi. Welcome to Kinyen Southern Station."

Yuan glanced up at the young man. For an instant she saw Khris's young face smiling at her. She shook her head of the image and resumed her gaze to the floor.

"If I could just see your transport papers." The young officer asked.

"You do not need to see our papers." Rouhan waved a hand, "You have seen no one leave from that ship."

The officer's face fell blank as Rouhan and Yuan walked past. A moment later he came to and shook his head. He glanced at the ship and saw Faesh board his vessel, then shrugged, resuming his paperwork.

As they walked purposefully towards the station's exit, Rouhan noticed the large screens displaying the Global Trade Network. It was airing the scene of Jarron's demise and Rouhan's face. He scowled at the number of credits offered for their capture which scrolled beneath the image. "We must distance ourselves from this place as quickly and quietly as possible." He said. When Yuan failed to respond, the looked over his shoulder.

Feeling her master's stare she simply muttered, "Yes."

He frowned, but said no more. They exited the station and stepped into the late Kinyen sun. The air was sweet, tinged with just the slightest hint of engine coolant and ozone. After a brief conversation with a local transport officer, they boarded a public speeder.

"Destination?" Asked the Driver Droid.

"Somewhere away from this place." Rouhan said.

"'Somewhere away from this place' is not a destination. Please rephrase your statement."

"Take us in that direction," Rouhan pointed Westward, "until I tell you to stop."

"Understood." The droid chirped, putting the speeder in a forward gear. "Going 'in that direction'."

Rouhan engaged the privacy screen between the passenger and driver's area, then turned to face Yuan. "We need to talk, you and I." he said.

"I don't really feel like talking right now." She said, looking out the window.

"I did not ask if you felt like talking," He said. His tone was not commanding or harsh, but gentle and compassionate. Like the Master she thought she knew. "I said we needed to talk." She looked to him with soft, golden eyes. Her skin was a pale mix of grey and green, and unlike some of her species she could almost pass for Human. Except for her eyes. Her eyes always betrayed her.

Rouhan sighed. "You must put Jarron's death out of your mind, lest it consume you." He said. "I know that is a difficult task, but I fear if you do not, your foothold in this world will slip and you will fall into darkness." He nodded, recognizing the expression on her face, "Yes, I know you have been struggling between the light and the dark for some time now. You feel a presence that is familiar yet not your own, and it mocks you."

"How…" She began to ask, but fell silent when he raised a hand.

He leaned back and sighed again. "I knew this moment would come, but I had hoped it would come later in life. I may have even dared dream it could have been somehow avoided. That was foolish of me." He paused, looking down to his hands for a long moment before levelling his gaze again. "It is time you know about your heredity, Yuan."

Yuan was filled with a sudden and intense sense of dread. From somewhere deep in the recesses of her mind she could feel a sinister smile on that shadow's face again.

"Your mother was incredibly strong with the force." He said, "Despite the fact she was never trained. Her power was great but untamed. Uncontrollable. It was an instinct rather than a skill, used to defend herself and those she loved when she felt threatened. It was a power neither the Jedi nor the Sith had experienced in a very long time."

Yuan's mind began to drift to memories of her childhood as Rouhan spoke. She was four years old again, one of the youngest in her village. Her mother, Illiyana, was beautiful. She had eyes of gold as well, and they often smiled down upon Yuan with love and adoration. Yuan would often spend hours in her home while her mother cooked, cleaned or did some other household chore.

Rouhan's voice carried over like a whisper in a dream. "Your mother was precious to the village as she was the only known force user. Of course, most didn't actually recognize her abilities as being in tune with the Force, they simply knew she was the village healer."

Young Yuan looked up from her playing as a Falleen man enters the home with another man hanging off of his shoulder. He had been gored by a Tu'Shaar, a porcine animal native to the planet. He clutched his abdomen, blood soaking his clothes and pouring over his fingers. Illiyana nodded and motioned for the man to set the wounded down. Once he had, she knelt beside him and closed her eyes, hovering her opened palms over his wound. Her hands began to glow a soft, green color and Yuan watched as the wound knitted itself closed. After a few moments the man sat up without any pain or fear, thanked her mother and left.

"But for those untrained in their abilities, using the Force can be dangerous." Rouhan continued.

When the men left, Illiyana collapsed against the bed, her brow covered in sweat. Yuan watched in horror as a red pool of blood spread across her abdomen, exactly where the man was wounded.

"And not just to themselves." The scene changed with Rouhan's words. Yuan, now about six years of age, hid, peeking from behind the door as he mother stood before a large, mean-looking Rattataki man. He had twin blasters attached to his thigh and argued with Illiyana about something Yuan couldn't' quite understand. "Your mother was also a protector, a defender of the village when those who wished to do harm threatened the safety of her people."

The Rattataki's men were gathered behind him, laughing and leering at the villagers. The argument between Illiyana and the man reached a climax and he pulled his weapons and aimed them at her.

But he did not fire. He stood, shaking, as she started him down. His men, confused, watched, their own weapons at the ready. Then, suddenly, his wrists snapped back from an invisible force. He screamed out but could not stop his forearms snapping and his head starting to crush inwards. Blood poured from his eyes, nose, ears and mouth.

"When we are young, the Jedi Order teaches us to remain calm and control our emotions." Rouhan said, his voice even and level. "This is not a mere requirement and it is not a punishment. It is a warning, for if we allow the Force to consume us…"

The man's screaming stopped as his head was crushed under some terrific weight. With just a flick of her wrist, Illiyana sent the man's body hurtling towards his men in a broken, bloody heap. Yuan cried out to her mother as she left the safety of her hiding place. Illiyana turned to her, stopping Yuan dead in her tracks.

Her mother's eyes were gone, those soft, golden orbs replaced by a dark ember glow of fire. The look of love and compassion, too, was gone from her face, replaced with one of cruelty and pure hatred. Illiyana stared at Yuan for a moment, then turned back to the men, licking her lips.

"… it will destroy everything we hold dear."

Illiyana let lose a guttural roar. It came at the men like a wave of pure power, knocking them back and down. She raced forward with preternatural speed, using her bare hands like primeval claws to tear them apart.

Yuan watched in horror as this creature who was once her mother laid waste to these men. None could escape her; those who tried to flee, those who begged for their lives, were torn to shreds without mercy or pause. In the end Illiyana stood surrounded by bodies, ankle deep in their blood.

 _Laughing._

Yuan closed her eyes to rid herself of the horror. When she opened them she was again in the speeder with her master, who looked over her with a grim expression. "I didn't remember any of this." She cried, not strong enough to fight back the tears that gushed from her. "Why? How could I not remember any of this?!"

"You weren't supposed to remember until you were ready." Rouhan said, shifting from sudden uncomfortableness. "When I found you, you were alone and terrified. The village lay around us in ruins. At first I thought it was due to an attack by the Sith, but I was wrong. When I discovered the truth I cloaked the memory from you. You were just a child then…" He said.

Yuan was still reeling from the images in her mind. She held herself and rocked back and forth, feeling cold and terribly, terribly alone. "What else?" She finally managed to ask him. "What else will I remember?"

"I don't know." He said, reaching out to her and placing a hand on her head. "But whatever comes, I will stand beside you every step I can." His voice lowered. "However, you are about to face challenges I can not prepare you for, nor can I save you from. When the time comes, you must choose your own path."

They rode in silence for several long moments. Yuan closed her eyes and admonished herself quietly for weeping in front her of master. She collected herself and focused her thoughts, clearing her mind. Once she regained control of her emotions she looked up at Rouhan.

"There are still years missing in my memory." She said. "Years before you found me, before my training at the temple. Even long moments during my training… all gone, like chasms. What happened then, Master? Why can I not remember these moments as well?"

He sighed heavily and shook his head. "If I were to be perfectly honest with you, my Padawan, you will have questions that I simply do not have answers for. You are unique." He added, his voice softening, "Even amongst the greatest of the Order, you possess a connection to the Force unlike any before you. A connection many would seek to exploit for their own personal gain. I promise you, Yuan, I will walk with you until the very end, and when I can walk beside you no longer I will strive to ensure the path before you is clear. Even then I shall guard over you as long as the Force allows."

She watched him carefully as he spoke. His words came, as they often did, with a fatherly warmth and care, but she found no comfort in them. Not this time. She secretly began to fear she never would again.

* * *

Drathan sat across from the Givin male. Its limbs were shaking from the overdose of stims keeping it alive. Its eyes were wide and unseeing, its mouth agape and dry. Drathan sighed and leaned back in his chair, frustrated, angered, and impatient.

A trooper entered the room and gave a curt bow. "Reports have just come in from the Fury, M'lord. Six more villages and two major cities have been laid waste. Total population exterminated, two point five million."

Drathan waved him off, never taking his eyes from the Givin seated before him. "Bring him about." He ordered.

The Imperial Interrogation Droid hovered closer. "Warning," It said in its mechanical sing-song voice, "The overuse of stimulants may lead to a complete synaptic collapse in the patient, resulting in brain death."

"Do it." Drathan hissed.

The Droid did as instructed. A long, spider-like appendance unfolded from the spherical droid's midsection. It was tipped with a long, wicked-looking syringe filled with a clear blue liquid. The Givin didn't as much as flinch as the needle sank into its arm, the liquid injecting into its veins slowly. Once drained, the Droid withdrew the syringe and folded the arm back into its body, hovering back several feet at the ready.

Seconds passed before the slightest reaction began to appear on the Givin's face, beginning with a slight twitching and the dark, black eyes rolling back into its skull. It then pitched forward and retched dark, black bile on the floor.

"Please… no more…" Its voice was weak and defeated, but not wholly broken.

Drathan leaned forward and lifted the creature's face to his with a gloved hand on its chin. "You know how to end this. The choice is yours."

The Givin began to weep and shudder. Draven released its face and again leaned back. After a moment the Givin lifted its head with great effort. "You do not understand the nature of what you seek. The nature of those who left it behind. It is not a tool or a weapon. It is darkness incarnate."

Drathan sighed. "I don't care for your ritualistic superstition. You _will_ tell me where this device is located."

"Or what?" The Givin managed a weak laugh. "What more can you do to me or my people? Even if you erase us from the galaxy you will not have what you seek, and when we are gone, so is the knowledge of its location."

Drathan set his jaw. He wanted to lash out, to cause as much insufferable pain as he could to this withered, pathetic creature before him, but he knew at its current state the Givin would not be able to survive, and he needed the location of the artifact. If physical pain and the death of its species wasn't enough to make it talk, perhaps another approach was in order.

"In less than twelve hours a Sith Inquisitor will arrive to take over interrogation." Drathan said matter-of-factly. "Everything I have done here will pale in comparison to what she is capable of. She will cause you pain I doubt either of us could even begin to understand. She will make you relive every moment, every ounce of pain, every death you have experienced so far, but not to get you to talk, oh no." He shook his head and smiled slightly. "You see, she doesn't need you to talk to get the information we want. She will do this merely to cause you unimaginable pain and suffering as she reaches into your very mind to tear the information out of you. But here's the catch, friend." Drathan leaned in, "Even once she has taken from you the information we need, and make no mistake, she _will_ get that information, she will keep you alive for the foreseeable future for no other purpose than to relive the deaths you have witnessed over and over again. An eternity of those moments is all you will know for many, many years to come. There will be no respite, no escape, just suffering."

The Givin looked at Drathan, the fortitude and strength drained from its face. The mere through of this hell was unbearable.

"However," Drathan added quickly, "tell me what I want to know and I will end your life and release you from that fate. With your death and having told me what I want to know I will order our ships to leave your atmosphere and the remainder of your people in peace. I leave the choice entirely up to you, but do know that she has already been dispatched. She will be here in less than six hours. Once she steps foot here I will be powerless to stop her."

The Givin's head sank towards the floor. For several long moments no one spoke. "Right, well that's that, I suppose." Drathan slapped his knees as he stood, then turned towards the exit. "Prepare for the Inquisitor's arrival." He ordered a nearby trooper. "I'll be in my chambers."

"Wait…" came a feeble voice from the creature in the chair. "I… I will tell you."

Drathan turned, "Oh?"

"Just promise me… promise me you will kill me after. I can not live witnessing the deaths of my family and people again. Once I have told you this thing, please honor your word to me and end my suffering."

"Of course." Drathan offered softly. "Once we verify the information you have given us is true, this will all end. No more of your people shall be harmed."

The Givin nodded. Drathan motioned for the probe. "Record whatever he tells you and send it to my datapad immediately."

Draven turned once again and exited the room, his thoughts racing. He had the weapon, as unstable as she was, and soon he would have the tool to control her. Then only one more thing stood to hold him from complete victory. He turned a corner and entered an antechamber, the doors closing behind him with a _hiss_ , and removed his gloves. He stretched his fingers somewhat painfully, the scars which covered them were thick and calloused. Nonetheless, it gave hhim some sense of relief to do this.

"No wonder you wear gloves. Your hands are hideous." Came a voice from the shadows.

Draven spun, his blaster already drawn and aimed in the direction of the voice. "Show yourself or die in the shadows like a coward. I will not ask again."

A feminine chuckle preceded the tall, lithe figure of a human female, her clothing fitting snugly to her form and dyed a dark blood red. Loose robes hung over her shoulders and trailed behind her, accentuating every fluid movement she made. The pale flesh of her ample bosom was exposed, as were her hips. Everything about this woman scrammed danger, and Draven thought her appearance was nothing less than a distraction to lure the unsuspecting and unwary to a quick and painful death, much like the hypnotising hood of a rainbow viper just before it struck.

She raised her hands. "Lower your weapon. I am unarmed." She purred.

His eyes fell to the sinister-looking lightsaber on her hip. "I sincerely doubt that." He lowered his weapon. "I was under the impression the Inquisitor wouldn't be here for a few more hours."

"You know how it is." She smiled, her red-amber eyes glittering in the dim light, "News of an Inquisitor sends some people into panic. They race to hide their mistakes, cover their tracks, gain sensitive information." She stopped and folded her arms across her chest. "I prefer the element of surprise. Kaelyn, by the way." She added.

"Yes, well" He stammered, holstering his blaster. "I would introduce myself, but I assume you are already fully aware of who I am."

His datapad began to chirp as the probe transmitted the information the Givin had given. He made no movement to answer it.

Kaelyn arched an eyebrow. "I am assuming that's rather important."

Drathan swore under his breath and reviewed the data. "This… this makes no sense." He said to himself.

"What's that?" She asked.

"It's nothing. Just the rambling nonsense of a condemned man believing he can fool the Empire." Drathan snapped. "If you will excuse me, as enjoyable as this has been, I must get back to work." He turned to the door.

"Then by all means, My Lord," She said deliberately, "Let's go."

The Givin looked up as Draven stormed into the room, fuming. Its eyes widened as Kaelyn followed behind closely. "No! I told you what you wanted to know. You promised! You promi-"

His words were cut short by Drathan's firm backhand, knocking him to the ground. "You gave me nothing!"

"No!" the Given pleaded, "I gave you coordinates. I gave you then location! Please…"

Draven shoved the datapad into the poor creature's face. "Are these the coordinates you gave the droid? Are they?!"

The Given nodded. "Y-yes. That is where what you seek lies."

Draven drew back and kicked the Givin, cracking several ribs under his boot. "Do you honestly believe me so foolish as to not recognize empty space?!"

The creature spit up blood, winded and in pain. It tried to beg, but could only release a wheeze of anguished breath.

Furious, Drathan turned crossed the room. "Do with him as you will, Inquisitor. I have no further use for him."

Kaelyn watched him leave then motioned to the troopers to set him back upon his seat. She leaned down and brought her face close it his and smiled an almost gentle smile. "Hello. My name is Kaelyn. We are going to get to know each other very, _very_ well. I will find the information we seek, of that there is no doubt, and once I have drawn it out of you, I will show you the depths of pleasure beneath the pain that so very few are fortunate to experience."

Drathan continued down the corridor, marching with dark purpose. He had rarely allowed this level of rage to fill his sense, often holding himself back for fear of losing control. Not this time, however. This time he was well beyond the point of control. The doors to his chambers opened before him as he strode in.

Aicen looked up from where he was seated, reading. "Oh, bad day?"

Without a word of warning Drathan closed the gap between them and lifted Aicen out of his seat by the throat, slamming him into the nearby wall. He felt his hands tighten around his lover's throat, crushing the life out of him. Aicen's mouth opened and closed, but no words could escape. His flesh began to turn purple and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

He fell to the floor as Drathan released him, gasping between coughing fits. Drathan stared down at the man at his feet, his chest heaving with anger. He reached down and grabbed Aicen by the shoulders, pushing him against the wall again. There was fear in the man's eyes. Raw, genuine fear. For Drathan, that was enough. Drathan leaned in and kissed him deeply. There was no love, no compassion in this kiss. This was power and passion born of anger. Drathan could taste the metallic, coppery tinge of blood as he bit down into Aicen's cheek. He then proceeded to rip clothing from the young man's body like a predator would rip the flesh from its prey.

Drathan tightened the collar of his uniform in the mirror, glancing over his shoulder to see the Acien's bruised and broken from lying half-buried in the covers. He felt little shame in his actions. It was his right, after all, as the man's Lord and Master to do as it pleased him, but he couldn't help but feel some sense of pity for the blonde creature he left in a state of ruin. "There are kolto packs in the case in the lavatory." He offered.

Aicen said nothing; he merely pulled the covers over himself.

Drathan sighed and reviewed his uniform one last time in the mirror. His anger, of nothing else, had been sated. Still, the threat of Kaelyn's presence burned at the back of his mind. At best she would be a nuisance, a distraction. At worst a new enemy to watch closely. She had already established herself as a dominant presence, but he couldn't quite figure out her true motives. If it was to assume command she could have done so by now. If it was to dispatch or harm Drathan in any way, she had ample opportunity to do that as well. Not knowing her endgame was Drathan's greatest concern and it unsettled him to no end.

He left, not saying another word to Acien, and marched to the interrogation room. It had been hours and he had received no reports from the droid. He didn't like not knowing the current status of things… one more thing to make him anxious.

The troops standing guard snapped to attention as he approached and the doors to the rom opened with a _hiss_ to allow him entry. "What have you learned?" He said, looking up to see the Given unbound and on its knees, a pale, blank stare in its eyes and its mouth agape, drooling profusely.

Kaelyn looked up with a pleasant smile, as if she were inviting Drathan to tea. "You'll be pleased to know he was telling the truth. Or, at the very least, telling you what he believes to be true. Aren't you?

The Givin nodded once, slowly, and then resumed its blank, zombie-like stare.

"I've already informed the Chancellor." She added, "He is just as confused as we are."

Drathan's eyes flashed to meet hers. "You informed him…? As far as I am aware, Inquisitor, and until I hear otherwise from the Chancellor himself, I am still in command here. You had absolutely no right to overstep your authority."

"My apologies, My Lord." Her smile never faded as she spoke. "You are indeed in command. I merely assumed you were busy with your… distraction. I did not want to interrupt you merely to report that which you already knew to be true. I assure you, it will not happen again."

He eyed her carefully. She was clever, hiding her talons and poisonous barbs, but he knew just how dangerous she could be. The Givin on the floor was a perfect example of that. Perhaps he should take more care to hide his own emotion. He took in a breath and calmed. "It is I who owes you an apology," He lied, "I do not mean to take my frustrations out on you. You say the coordinates that creature gave were correct?"

"He believes them to be accurate, yes." She said, adding, "Although as you have already discovered, they lead to a pocket of empty space."

Drathan eyed the Givin one final time before nodding. "Then we have no choice. Advise helm to set a course for those coordinates. We shall have to investigate for ourselves."

"Aye, Sir." Said a nearby trooper.

"And what shall we do with this?" Kaelyn said, gesturing to the Givin.

"Keep him, send him to his people to launch him from an airlock, the choice, Inquisitor, I leave to you as long as I don't have to look upon it any further."

* * *

Calhoun cradled his wounded shoulder as he leaned behind an overturned table. Maddigan was relentless in his attacks, moving faster than Calhoun can see and hitting harder than anything he could remember. He had managed to get a few lucky hits in, including a shot to Maddigan's leg which only seemed to slow him down slightly. He glanced around for Griss, but she had disappeared, hopefully to come up with a plan. As if on cue, her voice rang in his mind.

 _Boss, I have an idea to shut this guy down, but you're not going to like it._

 _Right now I don't care what it is,_ he said, _if you think it'll work, do it!_

 _Alright, but remember, I warned you._ She almost laughed

Calhoun jumped as the table he was using for cover exploded in a shower of splinters.

 _Now would be good!_ He added

The lights in the cantina began to dim as a low hum grew in volume. Calhoun could swear he tasted the tinge of ozone in the air and a light electric static on his skin. When he realized what was about to happen he hit the floor.

Maddigan could feel it too, but apparently failed to connect the dots. "What's going on? What are you up to no- ARGH!"

His body suddenly went stiff as a surge of electricity exploded outward from behind the bar, where Griss was busily rewiring the food processor unit, and with it a blast of electromagnetic energy. Sparks flew from the service droid and it went instantly limp. Maddigan, who was closer to the bar than Calhoun, caught the full force of the pulse. His cybernetic implants sent his flesh into spasm as they short-circuited and he fell into a paralysed heap to the floor.

Calhoun felt the hot-white pain of his own implants suffering the effects of the pulse. Fortunately for him he had far less implants than Maddigan. Unfortunately, his enhanced optic systems went dark. "Griss, I'm blind! Griss?"

"It's okay. He's out," came her familiar voice. "I can reset your optics once we get him on board and into stasis for transport." He felt her hand on his and allowed her to pull him up. His muscles ached and his head was killing him, but he was in a far better state of affairs than Maddigan. "A little more warning would have been nice."

"I wasn't sure if his cybers would pick up our internal comms." She said, a slight chuckle in her voice, "I said you wouldn't like it."

"Whatever. Get the ZG Sled and let's get this guy back to the ship." He groaned.

She laughed. "Everything within ten meters with a microprocessor is fried, Boss. Including the ZG Sled. We're going to do this the old fashioned way, and from the looks of this guy, he's going to be heavy."

"Just great." Calhoun exhaled. "And how far is it to the ship again?"

"Quite whining and help me." She said, placing his hands on Maddigan's arm. "He won't be out for long, and I guarantee he's going to be cranky when he wakes up. I'd rather there be a stasis field between us when he does."

After what seemed like a mountainous feat, they dropped Maddigan's body in to the holding cell and raised the stasis shielding. Griss collected her tools and began to work on Calhoun's optics.

"You know, if this goes south, we're going to need him on our side." She stated flatly.

"You really think he's going to be in any position to lend a hand after the surge you put through him" He glanced over at Maddigan's form.

"I'm sure you'll find some way to use your natural with and charm to win him over. Now hold still." She made an adjustment with laser spanner. He gritted his teeth, hating this part." Besides," She added, "his cybers are a lot newer than yours. Military grade as far as I can tell. They have self-regeneration nanites. He'll be fine."

"Military grade?" Calhoun grunted as flickering colors and slivers of light erupted in his vision. "Republic or Imperial?"

"Neither. It seems this guy used to work for some private security force. Maybe for a Hutt." She gave another tweak. "Cybers like his aren't exactly affordable. You could buy a private moon for the cost of his mods. There, how's that?"

Calhoun shook his head as the world faded into view. This always made him dizzy and nauseated; it felt like the world was spinning into place around him as he stood perfectly still. After a moment everything seemed to settle into a sharp, clear focus. "It's good, thanks."

"Mandalorians." Came Maddigan's voice from behind them. "Not Hutts." Maddigan pushed himself to a seated position and held his head between his palms. "And nanos or not, I may need a bucket or something, unless you like cleaning chunder from your nice, clean floors." He smiled.

Calhoun tilted his head. "Why would Mandlorans spend so many resources into modding one soldier? I thought they were all about honor and skill. A texch advantage doesn't seem very honorable"

"They are and it's not." Maddigan said, "And I'm not telling you anything, Imp. You should be proud. You're the first ones to get me behind a field in going on twenty years. Kidos." He winced, letting out a breath, "But seriously, you might want to start thinking about that bucket."

Calhoun glanced at Griss and sighed, then tapped the modulator on his throat, returning his voice to normal. "Relax, we're not with the Empire."

He looked up to them, then rolled his eyes. "Aysha. Clever girl." He chuckled. "Let me guess, you have a bounty on your head but need my help for whatever delusional scheme she has planned, so you had to pretend to be Imps to capture me, am I close?"

"Very." Griss said, "But that's not important."

"Okay." He clapped his hands and rubbed them together as he leapt to his feet, shocking both Calhoun and Griss with the speed of his recovery. "Let me out of here and let's talk."

"Not quite yet." Calhoun said, folding his arms across his chest. "I need to know I can trust you enough to let you out."

"Smart, but here's the thing." He grinned, "I can tell you anything, but the fact is you can't trust me. You _need_ me, but you can't trust me. No more than I can probably trust either of you. So where does that leave us, hmm?"

Calhoun smiled inwardly. This guy was going to be fun, he could feel it. However, fun and dangerous have a way of interchanging far too often for his liking. "Here's the deal," Calhoun leaned forward and rested his arms on his legs, "and I'm only going to offer it once, so listen up. I'm going to put Aysha on the holocomm and let her explain to you why it was so damned important we get you out. Once you've had a listen and decide for yourself whether or not you're in, I'll consider letting your out. Until then, make yourself comfortable."

Maddigan stared Calhoun down and then took a seat. "Fine, but here's my counteroffer. If I decide for any reason that I don't want to be a part of this, you'd better make sure I don't get out of this cage, or you and your pretty little assistant will find yourselves jettisoned from the cargo bay of your own ship. As far as I'm concerned we have a score to settle, you and me. "

"Charming." Calhoun said, and then stood from his seat and made his way to the bridge. "Griss, get Aysha on the comm. Tell her she has some convincing to do."

* * *

Yuan watched from a distance as Rouhan spoke with yet another cargo captain. She could tell by the way the pilot was shaking his head he wasn't interested in taking them where they needed to go. This would make the fifth failure in three days; it was appearing they would be stuck on this planet for the foreseeable future.

Rouhan retuned with a heavy sigh as the cargo pilot walked off in the opposite direction. He took a seat next to his padawan. "He has advised me that no pilot in their right mind will harbor a Jedi that is wanted by the Order."

"You could have persuaded him to take us." She said, distant.

"No." He said, "persuasion of the mind is one thing, but if it goes against the persons core being it would be frail at best and disastrous at worst. For all we know he would allow us on his ship and attempt to capture us for the Order. I wouldn't want to risk another conflict with an innocent."

Yuan scoffed at this under her breath. Rouhan heard it, but chose to ignore it, rather adding, "What we need is a pilot whose desire of credits surpasses his or her fear of the Order."

"Why not use the Network to put out a job?" She suggested.

"Yuan, we are being hunted. I do not think attributing our names to a job request would be very wise."

"We don't have to use our names." She said, looking to him. "All we have to do is state we are travellers wo wish to remain incognito for political reasons or whatever and offer a fair amount of credits for safe passage. We don't even have to say there's two of us."

"Interesting suggestion." He considered, then continued "But surely the Order would get suspicious upon seeing such a request on the Network."

"Not if it's in Huttese." She added flatly. "It would only get lost amongst all the other garble. Only those specifically looking to take the job would see it."

He admired her sadly. "An excellent idea, my Padawan. I do not know whether to be impressed or concerned, to be honest."

She shrugged and fell silent. It pained Rouhan to his core essence to see her like this, and he would do anything to alleviate her pain and confusion, but knew he could not. He sighed and removed his personal holocomm then proceeded to post the listing.


	7. An Oncoming Storm - Chapter Six

**CHAPTER SIX**

Maddigan stared at the holo image of Aysha for a long moment before looking to Calhoun and Griss for any sign that they may be joking. They weren't. He let out a deep breath and considered his response. "So let me get this straight…" he began, "You want me to trust these two enough to take me as prisoner and turn me over to the Empire in exchange for this doctor?"

"In a nutshell, yes." Calhoun smirked.

"You will be taken under the _illusion_ of being their prisoner." Aysha was quick to add. "Your bindings will not be secure. When the time comes, they will need you to help extract Vaerel. Everyone comes home. That's the plan."

The last comment was directed at Calhoun and he knew it, he just chose to ignore it.

"And if I refuse?" Maddigan said with genuine seriousness.

"Maddie, please." Aysha purred. "They can't rescue Vaerel without getting on that ship, and they can't do that without a prisoner to exchange. We can do this nice and work as a group, or I can deactivate your primary implants, leaving you weak as a cub for the transfer. The choice is yours."

"You don't have the access to my cybers." Maddigan called her bluff.

"Are you sure about that?" She replied in a cold, even tone. "Have you forgotten who it was that assisted in the implantation in the first place?"

He considered this for a moment the spat out a silent curse. "You always did know how to cover all your bases. Fine, I'll help, but the first sign that things are turning sour, your friends are on their own."

"Fine." Aysha smiled, looking to Calhoun, "But things aren't going to go sour. Everything's going to go as smoothly as synthsilk, isn't it, Bren?"

"That's the plan." Calhoun leaned forward and disconnected the call before Aysha could get another word in. He turns in his chair and nodded to Maddigan. "We have an hour before we transmit the clearance codes Aysha gave us. Once they're accepted and we dock we'll move directly to the maximum holding facility on deck seventeen, get the Doc, make our way back and leave. Easy money."

"Assuming the codes are any good." Griss added grimly.

"And if they're not?" Maddigan asked.

"Then it won't matter. We won't get anywhere near the docking hangar without being blown out of space, let alone to the Doctor's cell." She rebutted. "And to make matters worse," she added, "even our internal communications have a risk of being detected so once you're off this ship we won't be able to safely coordinate. You'll be on your own."

Calhoun considered this for a moment then nodded. "Then we do this old-school." He flipped a switch on the console, shutting down the stasis field containing Maddigan. He then tossed a pair of magcuffs to the cyborg. "Get used to these. You'll want to know how to disengage them when the time comes."

Maddigan inspected the cuffs in his hands. On the inside palm of the left cuff was a small pressure plate. It was awkward to reach, but once pressed the mag lock disengaged.

"And if things do start to go sour," Calhoun said as he stood. Revealing a small triggering device in his hand, "you stick with the group. If you wader beyond a distance of thirty meters, well, let's just say that's as far as you'll ever get. Aysha's not the only one to cover his bases, Maddie." Calhoun winked and left the cyborg alone in his cell.

"He's going to figure it out sooner or later." Griss muttered as she prepped the Fury for flight. "And when he does, he's going to be pissed."

"Maybe." Calhoun leaned back in his seat, pressing the button on the 'detonator' repeatedly. A small red light beamed from the end; a perfect plaything for a pet feisty Loth-cat, but hardly any other real use. "Let's hope it's later rather than sooner."

"Pre-flight check is complete." Griss said, pulling the yoke back. "Here we go."

The Fury's vertical lift engines roared to life, lifting the twenty-odd million tonne ship into the air. The nose dipped slightly as Griss pulled the yoke back, filling the forward monitor with an image of quickly-approaching ground.

"Up, up up!" Calhoun managed to yell. Griss immediately pushed the control forward, the ship responding by levelling off.

"Huh." Griss commented, "Controls are reversed. Didn't expect that."

"Do you want to take it around the block a few times first? Get a feel for it?" Calhoun said, feeling somewhat nauseated.

"No, I think I got it now. Setting course for atmospheric escape and, go." She pushed the controls harder. Although he couldn't hear them, he could feel the vibration of the engines' powerful thrust against the gravitational pull of the planet. Blue sky and cloud gave way to haze, followed by the inky expanse of space. Once free from the pull of the planet's surface the ride became incredibly smooth. "This isn't a bad ride, actually. I assumed the Empire always sacrificed performance for comfort, but this is nice." She mused. "Maybe we should keep it."

"I'll make you a deal." Calhoun smirked, "Get us in and out in one piece and as far as I'm concerned, this thing's yours. I'll take the Elysium any day, even with Nine's constant chatter."

Griss grinned as she brought the Fury's holographic heads-up display online. An image of their flight path appeared on the monitor before them. She navigated slightly to bring the Fury into position and hit the autopilot. "We should rendezvous with the Imperial ship in roughly twenty minutes." She moved her seat back and swivelled to face him.

"I know." He said, reading her face, "I'm not a fan of this plan either."

"There is an excellent chance that this won't work, that we'll give the docking codes that Aysha gave us and get blown out of space before we can land." She said matter-of-factly, "And even if we do manage to dock, the probability of us being discovered, captured or killed only gets higher each moment we're aboard that ship."

"Don't be such a pessimist." He smiled. It was meant to give some sense of assurance. From the expression on her face it failed miserably. He leaned forward and took her hand in his. "This is going to work. We're going to get in, get the Doc and get out."

"How can you be so certain of that?" She asked.

"Well I don't know about you, but I still have plenty of things I want to do before I die, and you know me," He grinned, "I don't like to leave things unfinished."

"I'm being serious." She warned.

"So am I." He looked at his partner with earnest admiration and trust. "What did I say to you when I first brought you onboard?"

"Hey Lass, ever seen the inside of a smuggler's cabin?" She chuckled.

"Not that." He laughed, "The other thing."

She looked at him, then shook her head, smiling. "You said the universe was a book upon which infinite pages were left blank, waiting to be filled with the stories of daring exploits and adventure."

"And?" He gestured for her to continue.

"And that if I joined your crew you would see to it that as many of those pages were filled with our stories, our exploits and our adventures." She sighed. "Looking back, it was a really cloud-headed thing to say."

"Maybe," He grinned again, "but it's true and you know it. I still have plenty of stories left in me to die on this mission. How about you?"

"Yeah." She admitted, "Probably."

"Probably?" Calhoun smirked. "Better curb your enthusiasm there. I need you clear-headed for this. I have a feeling it's going to get bumpy fast."

* * *

Commander Velor stood over the command crew serving on his bridge. Some of the finest men and women the Empire had to offer, and they would live or die at his command. This thought filled him with both a sense of pride and power. Velor himself was a man slight of build, lean, with greying hair slicked back beneath his cap. Every badge, every button was perfectly aligned; his very uniform a testament to the perfection he saw in himself and enforced within his crew. Nothing was out of place and nothing escaped his attention. Another point of pride he congratulated himself on.

"Sir," Came a voice from the Junior Officer manning the comms station. "We're receiving a request for docking from a ship, Interceptor class."

Velor raised an eyebrow. "And why are you bringing this to my attention?"

The Officer shook his head. "The clearance codes they are presenting are out of date by at least three months."

"I see." Velor said, "Put it through." The Officer hit a button and nodded. Velor cleared his throat, more for theatrical effect than any other reason. "Incoming Interceptor, your clearance codes are expired. Kindly transmit the current codes prior to approaching this spacecraft. Failure to comply and we will have no choice other than to open fire. You have thirty seconds to respond."

"They're responding, Sir." The Officer pressed a button.

"Commander Velor, I presume." Calhoun's masqueraded voice rang from the other end.

"Yes, and to whom as I speaking? I do not appreciate talking to unknown persons." Velor motioned to the Gunner to arm the turrets.

"I'm sending my credentials now. Read them carefully." Calhoun sneered.

Velor looked down as the data appeared on his console. His jaw dropped slightly. "Captain Drae, forgive my impetuousness, but I still require transmission of the current docking codes before I can allow even you to approach this vessel. Surely you understand."

There was a moment of silence from the Fury, long enough to give Velor cause to believe the line had been disconnected. He was about to speak when another string of data appeared.

"The information I have just shared with you," Calhoun said in as flat and emotionless a tone as he could muster, "explains why I have been out of communication from the Empire for the past year. I have been working undercover with Imperial Intelligence to capture the fugitive known as Maddigan. I have orders to bring him to you for imprisonment and interrogation. If you would prefer to squabble over stale codes and actively prevent me from completing a mission of this importance and has cost the Empire countless resources then that is fine. I will turn away, but know that your name will be marked heavily in my report as providing interference. It's not easy to get rid of a black mark like that from your service record, Commander."

There was a heavy hush that ran through the bridge as all present waited for Velor's response. No officer dared to make a sound. Some even refused to breathe for fear of incurring the wrath that was undoubtedly brewing in Velor's chest. When Velor spoke, his voice was forcibly calm and controlled. "Lieutenant Bavis."

The Junior Officer jumped at the mention of his name. "Yes, sir?"

"Just how old are those docking codes, exactly?" Velor said between clenched teeth.

"Um…" Bavis stumbled.

"How long?!" Velor's voice cracked like thunder.

"Three months!" Bavis yelped, "At least six rotations."

Velor took In a deep breath and let it out slowly. His hands tightened around the metal railway to the point his knuckles almost glowed white, yet when he spoke, his voice carried with it a well-practiced calm authority. "Interceptor class vessel, you have clearance to dock. Bring your ship to docking bay six-one-Bravo. When you are within range the docking tractors will bring you in."

"Wise choice, Commander." Calhoun replied, "Thank you for the authorization."

"Don't thank me yet, Captain." Velor said, sneering. "That privilege can wait until we meet in person. On the docking arena." Velor made the motion to cut the channel. He set his jaw and pushed away from the bannister. "I want a full armed detail on deck before that ship lands."

Griss gave a nervous glance to Calhoun as the Fury shuddered slightly under the control of the tractor beam. He smiled to her. "We've cleared the first hurdle, at least."

"Every moment from this point forward…" She said, her tone somewhere between dread and anger.

"I know." He pushed himself upright and nodded. "I know. That's why I want you to stay on the ship for this run."

"You can't be serious!" She ejaculated.

"I can handle Maddie until we get to the prison level, and from there I'm sure the two of us can get the doctor back here." He said sternly, "But we're most probably going to need to take off quickly, so I need to know the ship's manned and ready to fly."

"No." She shook her head and stood. "No. I can prep the ship remotely, you know that. There's no need…"

"That's an order." He said. His tone and expression made it clear to Griss there was no room for negotiation. "If things go south, and we both know they probably will, I'll need to know at least one of us is getting out of here alive. Take this ship and run. When the smoke's cleared get back to Nine and the Twins and leave the system. Don't look back."

"Bren…" She wanted to scream, to fight, to do anything other than stay behind, but she knew there was no changing his mind. She locked her eyes with his, a stern look on her face. "Aye, Captain."

"That's my girl." He winked then headed to the rear of the ship to gather Maddigan.

Griss sat back in her seat, feeling cold and alone for the first time in years. She looked out the main view screen to the monolithic Imperial Ship drawing them in like a spider dragging a fly that foolishly fell into its web.

"Wake up, Sunshine." Calhoun kicked Maddigan's heel and tossed the pair of rigged magcuffs to him. "It's showtime."

Maggidan growled and stood. "We never discussed a contingency."

"That's because there is none." Calhoun scoffed.

"I'm not a real fan of not having an escape plan." The cyborg said as he closed the cuffs around his wrists.

"I never said we didn't have an escape plan." Calhoun smirked. "Just that we don't have a contingency. Trust me, this will work."

Maddigan regarded Calhoun up and down and let out a heavy sigh. "And if I don't trust you?"

Calhoun shrugged. "I hear Korriban's absolutely dreadful this time of year. Any time of the year, actually. I guess we'll find out."

The Fury glided into the landing bay, guided by the ships automated tractor gear. As it lowered itself to the surface of the bay the Fury's landing gear slipped out from their recesses and buckled slightly under the weight of the ship as it came to a rest.

* * *

Velor, flanked by armed troopers on either side, stood at parade rest, his eyes locked on the ship as it landed. A moment later the main hatch opened with an audible _hiss_ and release of pressurized oxygen, followed by Maddigan, bound by the magcuffs and led by Calhoun at gunpoint. Velor could feel his men tense at the sight of the cyborg. He felt his own muscles tighten and willed them to relax. This was, after all, his ship. His domain, and he effused to be intimidated by anything whilst standing firmly on its deck.

"That's close enough." Velor ordered Calhoun and Maddigan to a halt. "Your orders, Captain."

"My orders are simple enough." Calhoun said, his voice augmented to carry the lilt of an Imperial Accent. "I am to deliver this piece of living scrap to your maximum security detention center in exchange for another prisoner"

"Exchange?" Velor's eyebrow raised in surprise. "An exchange for whom?"

"Some Twi'lek scientist you supposedly have on board." Calhoun tried to remain gruff and forceful. He'd be damned if he was going to lose control of any conversations with the Commander.

"Twi'lek scientist? Surely you're mistaken." Velor sneered. "We have received no orders to suggest that particular prisoner is to me moved anywhere. Considering his importance," Velor continued, "I sincerely doubt High Command would give such an order." He motioned for two of his troopers to move forward. "We will take this prisoner off your hands, but I am afraid I can not allow you to remove anyone until I have confirmation. Until then you are more than welcome to remain here as our guest."

As the troopers moved forward Calhoun could feel Maddigan's muscles tense, ready to spring into action. He pressed the barrel of his blaster into the man's back as a warning. "I appreciate the offer, Commander," Calhoun said, maintaining an even tone, "But my orders strictly disallow my handing over of this prisoner to anyone until I can personally assure he is behind a stasis field." His voice lowered. "Do you know what this man is capable of should he somehow manage to regain power to his augments? He would tear each of us limb from limb like a wild beast, and when he's done here he'll go through this ship, deck by deck, and slaughter everyone on board. Right now the only thing preventing him from doing that is this blaster pressed against the one soft sport this walking tank has. The instant my finger lifts even a millimetre from this trigger we're all dead."

The troopers stopped in their tracks and eyed Maddigan warily. They took a half-step backward when he beared his teeth and growled.

"If you want to ty and verify my orders, by my guest." Calhoun added, "But I will be walking this prisoner to his holding cell, and the sooner the better, 'cause my finger's starting to get rather tired."

Velor set his jaw to the point his teeth ached. To be given orders on his own ship was a discomfiture he refused to allow, but being held responsible for the death of his crew due to the release of a crazed killer cyborg was too great a risk to his record to even contemplate. Still, he had to be sure.

"How can I be assured he is as sedate as you say he is?" Velor asked.

"Hit him." Calhoun chimed.

"I beg your pardon?" Velor was genuinely befuddled by this suggestion.

"Hit him. Right across the chin." Calhoun said, feeling Maddigan's muscles tense once more. "And don't hold back. If he goes berserk I'll blast him. If not you know he's in safe hands."

"Hit…. Him?" Velor shook his head. "I shall not strike this man."

"Surprising." Calhoun coughed, "passing on an opportunity for a free hit at an easy target? What's the matter, Commander? Don't have the stomach for it?"

"Oh it isn't that, I assure you." Velor said in a snide leer. "I just defer such duties to those under my command who are more specialised at the skill." He snapped a finger over his head. "Lance Sergeant Braun, front and center."

The troopers stood aside to make way for Braun. He easily stood a full head over the others and Calhoun was pretty sure the straps on the man's breastplate were straining to hold his armor over his bulging pectorals. Braun stopped less than a foot away, standing nose-to-nose with Maddigan.

"Would you like to strike this man, Sergeant?" Velor asked.

"Yes, sir." Said Braun with a slow nod.

"Very well then. You may proceed." Velor looked down and inspected his nails, feigning complete disinterest in what was happening.

Braun stared at Maddigan though his skeletal white-and-black helmet, sizing the Cyborg up. Then, with almost lightning speed, surprising for a man his size, he swung a haymaker into Maddigan's cheek with a thunderous CRACK!

Maddigan took it, slowly turning back to face Braun. Velor paused when he saw the man was smiling.

"What's so amusing?" Velor demanded.

Maddigan sprayed Braun's helmet with bloody spittle before answering. "Before this is over I'm going to have Sergeant Braun's helmet as a souvenir."

"You'll have to kill me first." Braun hissed.

"Aye." Maddigan grinned again. "That's the plan."

"Enough!" Velor shouted, losing his composure for a brief moment. "Sergeant, fall back in to ranks."

Braun hovered for a moment, still staring at Maddigan, then backed off and fell into line.

"I trust that satisfies your concerns, Commander." Calhoun said flatly. "Can we now move this prisoner to the holding cells or would you like to see an example of what he is capable of?"

Velor pointed out three troopers. "You, you and you. Escort the Captain and his prisoner to security deck seven. In the interim I shall contact Imperial Command to clarify any ambiguity as to your mission directives."

"Good luck with that." Calhoun smiled. "Imperial Intelligence likes to hold their cards close to their chests if you know what I mean."

Velor held Calhoun in a threatening stare. "Either Command will verify the nature of your presence here or I shall place you into custody myself. Am I understood?"

"You do realize I outrank you, Commander." Calhoun was starting to feel a very unpleasant anxiety rise in his stomach.

"Unless you carry the title of Darth, Lord or Admiral, Captain, I am the senior officer aboard this vessel and you shall abide by my command."

In the Fury, Griss cringed as she listened in over the comms. Calhoun was losing his grasp on the situation already and they hadn't even left the hangar yet. She tried not to run the odds of the mission's success in her head but knew at this point they had better odds of navigating an asteroid field with dead sensors and a blindfolded pilot. If only she could contact Aysha, tell her that the mission's too risky to continue, tell her anything to get Calhoun back on board, but she couldn't risk sending out a signal without it being picked up by shipwide communications. In a matter of moments Velor would be contacting Imperial Command and discover they never sent _Captain Drae_ here with a mission. Worse, if they escalated the query to Intelligence they were dead.

She pressed her face in her hands. _'Think, think, think!'_ She leaned back and stared helplessly at the console before her.

Calhoun counted the steps as they marched, making a mental note of every turn and corner. He was certain Maddigan was doing the same. Or, at least he hoped he was. If it came down to making a mad dash in an escape it would be far more beneficial to know where you're going rather than running blindly.

After what seemed forever they came to a secure door with a single security lock. The trooper in the lead held a hand for the group to stop, after which he leaned and spoke into the mechanism.

"Trooper six-oh-eight-eight-seven Charlie. Security access code Alpha Tango Sixer Four-Four. Five to enter, including a new prisoner. Male, cyber-augmented." The trooper stood and waited for a response.

A voice crackled from the intercom. "Trooper six-oh-eight-eight-seven Charlie, your access code has been accepted. Please stand clear of the security doors."

The trooper did so. A moment later the blast doors opened. From the looks of them, they were at least eight inch durasteel. No blasting through if they got caught on the other side, Calhoun figured.

The trooper motioned for the group to follow and led them into the main receiving area for high-profile prisoners. The room itself was spacious and octagonal, with a center security station housing at least five guars armed with serious-looking needlers on their hips. A rack of high-density assault rifles rested well within reach, should the need arise where stunning and subduing an escape is less preferable to killing them outright.

The Officer in Charge looked up from his station as they approached, eying Maddigan up and down. "Prisoner's name, crime and political affiliation?" he asked.

The troopers looked to Calhoun expectantly.

"Maddigan." Calhoun snapped, "crimes include murder, arson, larceny and a list of others. Political affiliation…"

The Officer waited for an answer. When none came, he looked up and stared at Calhoun blankly. "Yes, political affiliation?"

"Mercenary." Maddigan said grimly. "I rather not like to take sides. You never know who's willing to pay more to have someone dead, who, you know, leave yer options open I always say."

The Officer blinked at Maddigan, then looked down at his console, saying sarcastically, "So it speaks. Will wonders never cease. Place a shock collar on him and send him to processing."

"Shock collar?" Maddigan said, laughing with nervous energy. "I'm not wearing a collar."

"Oh, I am terribly sorry." The Officer said, "If it's an inconvenience to you I'm sure we can work something out. Perhaps you'd like a cup of tea and a biscuit while we ready your suite? Perhaps lounge at complimentary bar and help yourself to something a bit stronger?" He leaned forward, the sarcasm dropping from his voice. "You do realize this entire ship is a floating prison, don't you? You don't get a say in how you're processed."

"No shock collar." Calhoun spat.

"I'm sorry, sir, but all incoming prisoners are to be collared." The Officer stated, adding "It is, as you know, standard procedure."

"If this were a standard prisoner I'd agree…" Calhoun tried to read the rank on the Officer lapel, but could never make sense of the colored pips.

"Warrant Officer, Second Class." The Officer offered.

"Warrant Officer," Calhoun repeated, "Second Class, yes. Well, this man has been illegally implanted with high-grade military augments. Experimental. Some Republic, some Imperial and some we've never seen before."

"Your point being?" The Officer chided.

"My point being the last time someone attempted to place a shock collar on this man, it sent his augments into a frenzy. Overloaded the poor man's brain." Calhoun was pushing his luck and he knew it. Might as well run with it. "Although he, himself, was unconscious and had no idea of his actions, his augmented reflexes took over. When he finally did manage to come to, he was standing ankle deep in the remains of…"

"Oh for the love of…" Maddigan broke free from his cuffs and grabbed the Officer by the head, slamming his face into the console, which erupted in a shower of sparks and smoke. The other troopers stood still for a moment in stunned silence, as Maddigan single-handedly dispatched two more Intake Officers.

Calhoun dropped to one knee while Maddigan made his way around the room with inhuman speed, leaving troopers and Imperial Officers alike lying on the floor, bleeding, unconscious or worse. He couldn't risk firing his weapon lest the ship sensors detecting weapons fire and alerting the bridge. He had no choice other than to take a more manual approach.

Leaping behind one of the troopers as he raised his rifle to fire upon Maddigan, Calhoun used an old trick he had picked up from a Mandalorian on Talos V. Trooper armor was tough, but had its weak points, specifically in the fleshy underside of the arms at the pits. Calhoun thrust his fingers up as hard as he could, hitting the pressure point and temporarily paralysing the troopers arms. Before he could fire, the trooper lost his grip on his weapon and dropped it to the floor. The trooper then fell to his knees, whereupon Calhoun tore his helmet off of the man and proceeded to smash it against the trooper's skull, sending him to a very painful slumber.

When the last of the troopers were incapacitated, Calhoun spun at Maddigan. "Are you completely insane?! We needed to keep a low, subtle profile. This…" he gestured at the bodies littering the floor around them, "is NOT subtle!"

Maddigan sighed. "Too late to worry about that now, I s'pose. Besides, do you really think they were going to fall for that 'crazy cyborg' story a second time? There was no way I was going to let them put a collar on me."

"Great. Perfect. Well, you're in charge now. What's out next step?" Calhoun spat.

"We stick with the plan. Locate the doctor, get him out, leave this ship." Maddigan huffed. "Nothing's changed."

"Okay, sure." Calhoun folded his arms across his chest. "And how are we going to locate him? The computer's smashed. We have no idea which cell he's in and no way of accessing the data. Unless, that is, you have some fancy slicer tech in that cybersteel head of yours."

Maddigan glanced around the room. There were three main corridors leading to holding cells. The doctor could be in any of them. "This isn't a full prison. There aren't that many cells. Maybe sixty along each path, thirty on each side. I'll take the left, you take the right. If we don't find him we'll meet back here and both take the center." He looked to Calhoun and shrugged again. "Unless you want to wait here for the relief shift to show up and ask one of them."

A chime rang out from the security desk, followed by Velor's voice. "This is Commander Velor. What the bloody hell's going on down there?"

The two men glanced at one another. _What now?_

Velor sat at his desk and waited for a response from the prisoner intake guards. When no immediate answer came, he pressed the button again. "Warrant Officer, report!"

There was a crackle of static followed by a man's voice. "Everything's fine, Sir." The voice said with an alarming amount of uncertainty. "We, um, had a slight problem with the new intake, but everything's under control now."

"Who is this?" Velor demanded. "I want your name and rank now."

There was another pause before the voice chimed again. "Smythe, Sir. Warrant Officer First Class."

"There is no Smythe rostered for today's cycle." Velor said flatly.

"I wasn't rostered for today, Sir." The voice said again. "I traded shifts with Jenkins for personal reasons."

"I see." Velor said, adding "And you say all is under control at the present? What's the status of the new intake?"

"He's been sedated, Sir." The voice offered. "Out like a baby."

"Very good. Carry on." Velor said, disconnecting the feed. He rapped his fingers on the surface of the desk and pressed another button. "We have a security breach in Prisoner Intake. Security Team Alpha respond immediately. There are two suspects, an augmented human and a man masquerading as an Imperial Captain. Both are to be terminated on sight. Security Team Beta, report to the landing bay and secure the Interceptor. No one is to leave this ship."

Velor sat back in his chair and reviewed his monitor, upon which the screen was split between an image of the imaginary Captain Drae and Privateer Bren Calhoun.

* * *

Calhoun released the pressure from the voice augmenter on his throat and looked to Maddigan. "We probably have less than a minute to find this doctor and leave before we're overrun by troopers."

Maddigan looked over the security desk. He reached out and hovered his palm above the controls. A moment later small, thread-like appendages crept from his fingers and palm, snaking their way down to the surface of the computer, finding any niche they could to infiltrate the processing unit.

"Okay, that's both incredibly fascinating and disturbing." Calhoun admitted.

Maddigan said nothing, his mind focused on the task at hand. A brief moment passed then the sound of the stasis fields going down sung though the room. The appendages wormed back into their place within Maddigan's hand. "I've just released all seventy-five prisoners, including the doctor. I suggest we start shouting out his name."

The prisoners peeked out from their opened cells, some stepping into the corridor, others remaining seated and unwilling to budge. They were confused, concerned and anxious.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Calhoun shouted, addressing them all. "You have been granted a brief reprieve from captivity. However, armed troopers will be arriving momentarily, and when they get here they're going to want to put you back in your boxes!"

A murmur washed over the prisoners as they regarded Calhoun with scepticism tinged with bloodlust. He suddenly remembered he was dressed in an Imperial uniform. He looked over to Maddigan. "A little help?"

Maddigan climbed atop the computer console. "Some of you recognize me. Others have heard of me. I am the Mandalorian Maddigan, and what this man says is true. We have come to extract a Doctor Vaerel."

The crowd of prisoners turned towards the Twi'lek man standing in the rear trying desperately to remain unnoticed.

Griss listened to the commotion on the open channel. There was no way Calhoun and Maddigan were going to get the doctor back to the ship in time. She then noticed the armed troopers entering the landing bay and marching towards her position.

"Frek!" she swore, trying to come up with a solution, seeing none. She'd have to break the silence.

 _Boss, come in._

There was silence for a long moment, adding to Griss's anxiety. Then, _I thought we were supposed to run quiet. We've located the doctor and are about to return to the landing bay._

She breathed a sigh of relief then shook her head. _Negative! The bay is hot. You'll have to make alternate plans for evacuation. I can pick you up after._

Again, a long silence. Finally, Calhoun's voice echoed in her mind. _Understood. Do what you have to do. Maintain silence until pickup._

Her internal comm went dead. She looked at the ships monitor and saw the troopers making their way across the bay and directly towards the Fury. She strapped in and started flipping the engine's main power. No time for a ready-check.

A loud CLUNK echoed through the bay as the Fury released its docking clamps. The Lead Trooper raised a hand, bringing everyone to a halt and activated his comm. "Interceptor Class Vessel, power down and re-attach docking clamps. Prepare to be boarded."

The troopers waited for a reply. When none came, the Lead Trooper motioned for them to continue. Before they took a single step, the Fury's vertical lift jets flared to life, filling the bay with an echoing thunder as the ship began to rise from the platform.

"You do not have permission to launch!" The Lead Trooper yelled into his helmet, "Power down NOW!" When the Fury again failed to respond, instead slowly rotating to bring its nose into position with the main bay doors, the Lead Trooper changed channels and yelled again. "Docking Officer, we have a rogue starship! Seal the main doors and isolate that ship now!"

In the control center the officers were already in a state of commotion. The Docking Lieutenant punched the console. "We're trying! Controls aren't responding. I repeat, controls aren't responding!"

Griss watched the events on the deck, the control spike she had managed to remotely connect with the Cruiser's on-board computer functioning perfectly. She had temporary control over the docking bay's procedural functions. All she had to do was open the bay doors. Of course, that would create an instant vacuum into space which would tear each of the troopers into the void and to their certain demise. Her finger hovered over the release button momentarily. She sighed and pressed another.

"Troopers on the docking deck, evacuate." She said, her voice booming through the ship's external speakers. "I'm going to open the bay doors in twenty seconds. I repeat, evacuate the deck."

The troopers looked to one another and then to the Lead Trooper, who gave the signal to stand firm. "Unidentified trespasser, power down your vessel and allow us to board. Cooperate and we will ensure you will be escorted to the holding pens without harm to await trial. You have ten seconds to comply before we open fire."

Griss blinked. Were they serious? Her answer came in the tell-tale sounds of blaster fire pelting against the ship's hull. She pressed the external speaker buttons again. "You idiots! Those blasters can't penetrate this ship's hull shielding. Get off the deck. Now!"

Several of the troopers paused and glanced to their commanding officer. Some took a step backwards. "Sir…" said one uncertainly.

"Keep firing!" was his order. He then switched back to the private channel with the Docking Lieutenant. "Status."

The Officers were frantically punching every command they could think of, but nothing seemed to work. "Negative." The Lieutenant said. "If she does in fact breech the doors you and your troops will be blown into the black. I suggest a tactical retreat."

"I am not about to leave my post, Lieutenant!" The Lead Trooper barked, adding "Come up with an alternative now."

"Don't be a fool!" The Lieutenant growled. "She's obviously using a command spike. As long as the interface is within range we're locked out. Let her go. As soon as she exceeds the range of the spike we'll have control again, and once we do, we'll have her!"

The Lead Trooper gnashed his teeth before reluctantly gave the order to his mean to retreat.

Griss watched as they left the deck, thankful. Once they had cleared the area, she armed the main ion cannons. "Target obstacle directly ahead." She ordered.

"Warning." came the computer's gentle, Imperial-accented voice, "Proximity to intended target exceeds the maximum safety regulations. A detonation would result in potential damage to this vessel. Manual override required."

She swore again and grabbed the main gun controls, lining up her target.

From outside the Imperial Cruiser, in the soundless vacuum of space, the great metal doors buckled and exploded outward in a showering display of flame and debris caught in zero gravity, followed by the Fury, ejected not under its own power, but the sudden release of atmosphere.

Griss spat as the Fury's main control panel became illuminated in countless warning lights. Sirens rang and squealed, threatening to deafen her. She almost couldn't make out the computer's voice under the cacophony.

"Warning! Warning! Main engine malfunction." It said in a disturbingly calm and monotone voice. "Sudden depressurization has placed an exceeding amount of stress on the hull. I am reading atmospheric leaks on several decks. Recommendation: return to dock and commence repairs."

"Not gonna happen!" Griss shouted over the clamour. "Activate NAVCOM to pre-set coordinates and engage."

"Main engines are offline." The computer offered, "It is unadvisable to navigate under manoeuvring jets only."

"Do it!" She screamed. "And shut off this damned noise"

The Fury's navjets spit to life, limping the vessel away from the Cruiser. White streamers of escaped oxygen fell from the ship like banners as it bobbed and weaved its way through the dead of space.

* * *

Maddigan gathered Vaerel and looked to Calhoun. "What do you mean our ride's gone? How are we supposed to get off this ship?!"

"That's the question of the hour." Calhoun grimaced, his eyes locked on the door which stood between them and the incoming sentries. He then glanced around the room. "Things are about to get pretty interesting in the next few minutes."


End file.
